Prolonged beneficial effects of dobutamine in refractory heart failure--case histories

Two patients with refractory congestive heart failure were treated with dobutamine for forty-eight to seventy-two hours with close monitoring of weight and symptomatology. After two to four cycles of dobutamine treatment, 1 patient showed sustained hemodynamic benefit after six months, whereas the second patient had partial improvement. At the end of a one-year follow-up, both had sustained improvement in effort tolerance, documented by a stress test. The quality of life has markedly improved, and they have not required further hospital care.