title: The effect of various fenoldopam doses on renal perfusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The hypothesis that fenoldopam mesylate, by increasing renal flow, could reduce renal damage in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass has gained great interest. The aim of the current study was to quantify the relationship of the increase of the renal blood flow as a function of the fenoldopam dose in these patients and to evaluate renal flow distribution within the renal parenchyma using Doppler.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients admitted to cardiac surgery have been enrolled. We used the Doppler technique to measure renal blood flow at the level of the renal, segmental, interlobar, and interlobular arteries. We calculated both the resistive and pulsatility indexes in all the renal segments. Moreover, we calculated echographically all the variables of preload, afterload, and cardiac index. Measurements were performed at baseline and after the infusion of fenoldopam mesylate at the doses of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fenoldopam infusion at doses more than 0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) significantly increases blood flow in all renal compartments, thus improving the resistive and pulsatility indexes starting at a dose of 0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1). The highest renal flow increase is observed with 0.3 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1). Fenoldopam seems to increase the renal flow directed to the most external kidney areas. Systemic hemodynamically significant changes are observed only in patients receiving doses more than 0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In hemodynamically stable patients undergoing cardiac surgery with preserved renal function, fenoldopam shows a pharmacodynamic dose-dependent profile: it significantly increases renal flow and reduces the resistances of the renal circulation starting at a dose of 0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1).
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery and Anesthesia and Intensive Care Department, Sant'Ambrogio Hospital, Milan, Italy. massimo.meco@virgilio.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meco
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cirri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000187:drug effects; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D018818:Fenoldopam / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D018818:Fenoldopam