[The basics of catecholamine therapy. 2. A guide to clinical use]

Myocardial function is determined by preload, afterload, contractility and heart rate. Pathologic changes of these variables may result in decrease of blood pressure, acute heart failure or cardiogenic shock. Hyperdynamic septic shock is associated with systemic hypotension despite increased cardiac output. Mediators of sepsis induce both myocardial depression and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Moreover, sepsis is characterized by microcirculatory disturbances and dysbalance in regional oxygen delivery and consumption. Severe systemic hypotension is a symptom often requiring catecholamine therapy to restore systemic circulation and to avoid organ damage. As the use of catecholamines is not a causal therapy administration should be limited to an initial measure until correction of the underlying abnormalities can be achieved. Different etiologies of shock as well as diseases requiring specific interventions as pulmonary embolectomy, systemic lysis or coronary angioplasty have to be considered. First line intervention consists of optimizing preload by fluid resuscitation as appropriate and use of dopamine (4-12 micrograms/kg.min) as primary catecholamine to increase contractility and blood pressure. In acute left heart failure inotropic support with dobutamine (4-12 micrograms/kg.min) or epinephrine (0.05-1 microgram/kg.min) may be necessary, frequently combined with a vasodilator (sodium nitroprusside 0.2-5 micrograms/kg.min or nitroglycerine 0.5-2.5 micrograms/kg.min) or phosphodiesterase-III-inhibitor (milrinone 0.3-0.8 microgram/kg.min). In right heart failure norepinephrine is preferred to increase coronary perfusion pressure. Hyperdynamic septic shock with decreased vascular resistance is treated with norepinephrine to restore mean arterial pressure and to improve right ventricular dysfunction induced by pulmonary hypertension.