Prehospital Treatment with Dobutamine

Purpose:To assess the effectiveness of the use of dobutamine hydrochloride in out-of hospital emergency situations.Population:Patients with severe circulatory insufficiency caused by acute illness or injury encountered by the Mobile Intensive Care Unit of Copenhagen (population 467,000) during a 15-month study period.Methods:A newly developed dobutamine solution was administered by infusion pump to patients in whom normal emergency treatment failed to restore an acceptable circulatory state.Results:A total of 40 patients were treated with 4–48 μg dobutamine/kg/minute. The treatment was judged to be primary life-saving in 15 patients, the condition was improved in 16 patients, and nine patients died. Systolic blood pressures (in those who survived) rose from a mean value of 45 mmHg (range 0–80 mmHg) to 105 mmHg (range 65–180 mmHg). No tachycardia or arrhythmias were noted.Conclusion:This newly developed dobutamine solution is very useful in prehospital treatment of patients with circulatory failure and is recommend for use by mobile intensive care unit teams.