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• The main effect of therapeutic doses is cardiac stimulation.
• Principally a selective, direct stimulatory effect on β₁-adrenergic receptors, but the mechanisms of action are complex.
• In therapeutic doses, also mild β₂- and α₁-adrenergic receptor agonist effects.

• β₁-Adrenergic effects exert a potent positive inotropic effect, resulting in increased myocardial contractility and cardiac output.

  Increased left ventricular filling pressure decreases in CHF.

• Therapeutic doses cause decreased peripheral resistance; however, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure may remain unchanged or be increased because of augmented cardiac output.
• Usual doses do not substantially change heart rate.
• Coronary blood flow and myocardial oxygen consumption are usually increased because of increased myocardial contractility.
• May facilitate AV conduction and shorten or cause no important change in intraventricular conduction.
• Pulmonary vascular resistance may decrease if it is elevated initially and mean pulmonary artery pressure may decrease or remain unchanged.
• Unlike dopamine, dobutamine does not seem to affect dopaminergic receptors and causes no renal or mesenteric vasodilation; however, urine flow may increase because of increased cardiac output.

Advice to Patients

• Importance of informing clinicians of existing or contemplated concomitant therapy, including prescription and OTC drugs.
• Importance of women informing clinicians if they are or plan to become pregnant or plan to breast-feed.
• Importance of informing patients of other important precautionary information. (See Cautions.)

Preparations

Excipients in commercially available drug preparations may have clinically important effects in some individuals; consult specific product labeling for details.

AHFS Drug Information. © Copyright, 1959-2009, Selected Revisions July 2009. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.

† Use is not currently included in the labeling approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.