[The intensive therapy of acute heart failure directly after heart operations performed under artificial circulation...

The efficacy of dopamine infusions in doses of 2 to 10 micrograms/kg/min and combinations thereof with prolonged epidural lidocaine anesthesia (3.7 +/- 0.7 micrograms/kg/day) was assessed in 47 cardiosurgical patients with acute cardiac failure in the immediate postperfusion period. Dopamine increased cardiac output by boosting heart rate and directly increasing the pumping function of the myocardium. High epidural blocking (ThIV-ThV) decreased the chronotropic effect of dopamine, increased the cardiac output by 48.7%, the left ventricular pumping coefficient by 37.9% and the right ventricular by 38.1% and decreased the total peripheral vascular resistance by 36.4% and pulmonary vascular resistance by 52.1%. Epidural anesthesia used in intensive care of cardiac failure in cardiosurgical patients is believed to potentiate the inotropic effect of dopamine.