Successful treatment of post-resuscitation left ventricular dysfunction with dobutamine

Left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction is severe following 15 minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation and subsequent successful resuscitation. Treatment of such post-resuscitation mypcardial dysfunction has not been studied. The effect of Dobutamine (10mcg/kg/min) for its effect on such post-resuscitation dysfunction was studied in 23 swine. Each animal was instrumented with solid state micromanometer tipped catheters for accurate measurement of left ventricular pressures. Left ventriculograms were performed for the measurement of ejection fraction and ventricular volumes. The effects of no treatment (n=8) versus Dobutamine (n=14) on left ventricular function parameters were followed over time, including a pre-arrest baseline and at 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 5 hours after successful resuscitation. LVEF LVEDP SV Baseline 5hrs. Baseline 5hrs. Baseline 5 hrs. Control 58±3 25±3 11±1 20±3 17±3 7±2 Dobutamine 52±1 55±3 11±1 9±1 16±1 14±2 "p" NS <.01 NS <.02 NS <.02 LVEF= Ejection Fraction, LVEDP= End distolic pressure, SV= Stroke volume Standard clinical doses of Dobutamine (10mcg/kg/min) can successfully overcome the left ventricular dysfunction following successful resuscitation from prolonged cardiac arrest.