title: Oral administration of the dopamine prodrug docarpamine shortens need for drip infusion of dopamine in patients with low cardiac output syndrome after cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Docarpamine (DOC) is a dopamine prodrug which can be orally administered. It has been found that oral docarpamine transforms into dopamine in vivo, and increases cardiac output and renal blood flow as effectively as intravenous dopamine.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the records of 26 patients who had developed low cardiac output syndrome (LOS) after cardiac surgery and received docarpamine during the early postoperative course. Five patients discontinued docarpamine within 2 days due to arrhythmia. There were 3 hospital deaths. The remaining 18 patients were divided into two groups according to the timing of docarpamine administration. In group A docarpamine was administered during and after weaning from intravenous catecholamines, in group B only on demand after weaning from intravenous catecholamines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 12 patients in group A and 6 in group B, and the severity of LOS was relatively milder in group B than in group A. Stable hemodynamics and sufficient daily urinary output were maintained by oral administration of DOC in both groups just as well as by drip infusion of catecholamines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sinse continuous drip infusion of catecholamine commonly slows recovery in LOS patients, it is considered that switching from drip infusion of catecholamines to oral DOC administration is safe and useful for earlier recovery in LOS patients after cardiac surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tenri Hospital, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsubayashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nomoto
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D011355:Prodrugs; C052143:docarpamine; D004298:Dopamine