Formulary
Dobutamine: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Dobutamine is a cardiac stimulant which acts on beta 1 receptors in cardiac muscle, and increases contractility.
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Dobutamine: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Dobutamine is a cardiac stimulant which acts on beta 1 receptors in cardiac muscle, and increases contractility.
Drug action
Dobutamine is a cardiac stimulant which acts on beta 1 receptors in cardiac muscle, and increases contractility.
Indications and dose
**Inotropic support in infarction, cardiac surgery, cardiomyopathies, septic shock, cardiogenic shock, and during positive end expiratory pressure ventilation**
- **Adult** (By Intravenous Infusion): Usual dose 2.5-10 micrograms/kg/minute, adjusted according to response, alternatively 0.5-40 micrograms/kg/minute.
**Cardiac stress testing**
- **Adult** (By Intravenous Infusion): (consult product literature).
**Inotropic support in low cardiac output states, after cardiac surgery, cardiomyopathies, shock for dobutamine**
- **Neonate** (By continuous intravenous infusion): Initially 5 micrograms/kg/minute, then adjusted according to response to 2-20 micrograms/kg/minute, doses as low as 0.5-1 microgram/kg/minute have been used.
- **Child** (By continuous intravenous infusion): Initially 5 micrograms/kg/minute, then adjusted according to response to 2-20 micrograms/kg/minute, doses as low as 0.5-1 microgram/kg/minute have been used.
Cautions
Acute heart failure; acute myocardial infarction; arrhythmias; correct hypercapnia before starting and during treatment; correct hypovolaemia before starting and during treatment; correct hypoxia before starting and during treatment; correct metabolic acidosis before starting and during treatment; diabetes mellitus; elderly; extravasation may cause tissue necrosis; extreme caution or avoid in marked obstruction of cardiac ejection (such as idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis); hyperthyroidism; ischaemic heart disease; occlusive vascular disease; severe hypotension; susceptibility to angle-closure glaucoma; tachycardia; tolerance may develop with continuous infusions longer than 72 hours
Contraindications
Phaeochromocytoma
Side effects
Common or very common Arrhythmias; bronchospasm; chest pain; dyspnoea; eosinophilia; fever; headache; inflammation localised; ischaemic heart disease; nausea; palpitations; platelet aggregation inhibition (on prolonged administration); skin reactions; urinary urgency; vasoconstriction Uncommon Myocardial infarction Rare or very rare Atrioventricular block; cardiac arrest; coronary vasospasm; hypertension exacerbated; hypokalaemia; hypotension exacerbated Frequency not known Anxiety; cardiomyopathy; feeling hot; myoclonus; paraesthesia; tremor
Interactions
**Other interactions (6):**
- Medicinal products metabolised by COMT Opicapone may interfere with the metabolism of medicinal products containing a catechol group that are metabolised by COMT, e.g.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): NSAIDs may reduce the hypotensive effect of bisoprolol.
- Co-administration of inotropic agents (e.g.
- However, the experience of the clinical use of entacapone with several medicinal products, including MAO-A inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors such as...
- Antihypertensive agents (e.g.
- The effect of tolcapone on the pharmacokinetics of other drugs metabolised by COMT such as - methyldopa, dobutamine, apomorphine, adrenaline and isoprenaline have not been evaluated.
Pregnancy
No evidence of harm in animal studies-manufacturers advise use only if potential benefit outweighs risk.
Breast feeding
Manufacturers advise avoid-no information available.
Medicinal forms
Solution
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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