Circulatory support with sympathetic amines in brain death

In 12 cases of brain death, the cardiovascular effects and changes of transcutaneous PO2 (PtcO2) during infusion of various sympathomimetic amines were determined. The larger amounts of vasopressors were necessary to maintain the blood pressure at more than 100 mmHg. With norepinephrine and dopamine, marked increase in blood pressure, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance and also PtcO2 were observed. On the other hand, dobutamine was not an effective pressor agent in those situations. Even with more than 10 times the routinely used concentration of dobutamine, difficulties were encountered in keeping the blood pressure above 100 mmHg in many cases studied. With the infusion of dobutamine, a marked increase in cardiac output and heart rate were observed with a decrease in systemic vascular resistance and a fall in PtcO2 values in many occasions. In brain death, norepinephrine and dopamine will be recommended as the pressor agents in clinical practice. The changes of PtcO2 closely followed the changes of arterial blood pressure and did not parallel the changes of cardiac output or of heart rate.