Haemodynamic effects of dopamine, epinephrine and orciprenaline (Alupent) in patients early after cardiac surgery.

The haemodynamic effects of Dopamine (100, 250 and 500 mcg/min), Epinephrine (4 and 8 mcg/min), Orciprenaline (4 and 8 mcg/min) and two combinations of Dopamine 250 mcg/min with Epinephrine and Orciprenaline 4 mcg/min respectively at constant infusion rates were studied in 21 patients after cardiac surgery. Special attention was payed to four types of catecholamine infusions during which the highest cardiac index (CI), 161-168% of control, was seen: Dopamine 500 mcg/min (D 500), Epinephrine 8 mcg/min (E 8), Dopamine 250 mcg/min combined with Epinephrine 4 mcg/min (D 250 + E4) and Dopamine 250 mcg/min combined with Orciprenaline 4 mcg/min (D 250 + Or 4). At the same time mean arterial pressure (MAP) was highest with D 500 (137%) and lowest during both combined infusions (120 and 125%). Total peripheral resistance (TPR) was lowest during the combined infusions (80 and 81% of control) and highest during D 500 (89%). The relative increase of stroke index (SVI) and heart rate (HR) in favor of SVI, given as a quotient SVI/HR, was highest with D 250 + E4(3.7), followed by E 8 (1.9), D 500 (1.6) and D 250 + Or 4 (1.3). It was concluded that a combined infusion of Dopamine and Epinephrine, both in low doses, is preferable to a high dose of Dopamine, or Epinephrine alone, producing the same increase of cardiac output with less afterload and less chronotropic effect than high doses of either drug alone.