- What is intravenous dobutamine? What is dobutamine used for?
- What are the uses for dobutamine?
- What are the side effects of dobutamine?
- What is the dosage for dobutamine?
- Which drugs or supplements interact with dobutamine?
- Is dobutamine safe to take if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
- What else should I know about dobutamine?
What is intravenous dobutamine? What is dobutamine used for?
Dobutamine is a synthetic catecholamine. Dobutamine injection is indicated when parenteral therapy is necessary for inotropic support in the short-term treatment of adults with cardiac decompensation due to depressed contractility resulting either from organic heart disease or from cardiac surgical procedures.
In patients who have atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, a digitalis preparation should be used prior to institution of therapy with dobutamine hydrochloride
Is dobutamine-injection available as a generic drug?
Yes
Do I need a prescription for dobutamine-injection?
Yes
What are the uses for dobutamine?
- Dobutamine is prescribed to help increase cardiac output in a failing heart due to heart disease or cardiac surgery.
What are the side effects of dobutamine?
The most frequent adverse reactions include
- increased heart rate,
- increased blood pressure,
- irregular ventricular beats, and
- chest pain.
Other important side effects include
Serious side effects of dobutamine include
- abnormal heart beats,
- increased heart rate,
- low blood pressure,
- chest pain,
- fainting , and
- eosinophilic myocarditis.

IMAGES
Heart Illustration Browse through our medical image collection to see illustrations of human anatomy and physiology See ImagesWhat is the dosage for dobutamine?
- The initial dose for adults is based on the indication and severity of heart failure.
- Dosing is 0.5 to 1 micrograms per kilogram body weight per minute followed by an intravenous infusion of 2 to 20 micrograms per kilogram body weight per minute.
- Maximum dose is 40 micrograms per kilogram per minute.
Which drugs or supplements interact with dobutamine?
- Use caution when combining dobutamine with other agents that increase heart rate or blood pressure (sympathomimetics), such as atomoxetine (Strattera), dopamine, and epinephrine.
- Use lower doses of dobutamine initially if the patient is also on linezolid (Zyvox) as there is a risk of significant increase in blood pressure.
- Calcium salts may decrease the effect of dobutamine, so monitor closely.
Health News
- Your Guide to Hepatitis C Medications
- CDC Raises Alarm About Meningitis Threat to Patients Visiting Mexican Surgical Clinics
- What Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
- New Approach to Transplants Could Boost Supply of Donor Hearts
- Experts Warn of Heart Dangers From Smoke of Canadian Wildfires
More Health News ยป
Is dobutamine safe to take if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Available evidence suggests that dobutamine may be safely used in pregnancy.
- Dobutamine should be used cautiously by nursing mothers as it is unknown whether it is excreted in breast milk.
What else should I know about dobutamine?
What preparations of dobutamine-injection are available?
Intravenous solution: 250, 500, 1000 mg in 250 mL, 250 mg in 20 mL, 500 mg in 40 mL
How should I keep dobutamine-injection stored?
- Vials should be stored at room temperature, between 15 C to 30 C (59 F to 86 F).
- Once diluted, dobutamine may be stored in the refrigerator (4 C) for 7 days or up to 48 hours at room temperature.
Summary
Dobutamine injection is a prescription drug in the drug class of catecholamines. Dobutamine is prescribed to assist with cardiac output in a person with a failing heart due to heart disease or cardiac surgery. Side effects and frequent adverse reactions include chest pain, headache, fever, shortness of breath, increased blood pressure.
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
-
Heart Healthy Diet: 25 Foods You Should Eat
What foods are heart healthy? Learn what foods help protect your cardiovascular system from heart attack, coronary heart disease,...
-
Heart Disease: Causes of a Heart Attack
Heart disease prevention includes controlling risk factors like diet, exercise, and stress. Heart disease symptoms in women may...
-
Am I Having a Heart Attack? Symptoms of Heart Disease
Heart attacks symptoms vary greatly for men and women, from anxiety and fatigue to nausea and sweating. Learn the warning signs...
-
High-Fiber Super Foods: Whole Grains, Fruits, & More
Learn about high-fiber foods. From fresh fruits to whole grains, these fiber-rich foods can lower cholesterol, prevent...
-
Heart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes
What is heart disease (coronary artery disease)? Learn about the causes of heart disease, arrhythmias and myopathy. Symptoms of...
-
High Protein Diets: Good or Bad?
Can a high protein diet help you lose weight fast and help you feel full? High-protein diets are popular, but is there a down...
-
Food Cravings Slideshow: Chocolate, Carbs, Salt, Sugar
Learn which food cravings can wreck your diet. Whether your craving something creamy or crunchy, sweet or salty, food cravings...
-
Diet for Stress Management: Carbs, Nuts, and Other Stress-Relief Foods
While there are many ways to cope with stress, one strategy is to eat stress-fighting foods. Find out which foods to eat as part...
-
Salt & Low Sodium Diet Quiz
Do you love salt? Take the online Salt Quiz to get the facts about dietary salts and sodium in fruits, vegetables, processed...
-
Diet and Nutrition Quiz: Plans & Facts
Even if you think you're getting enough fruits and vegetables per day, how can you be sure? Take the Diet & Nutrition Quiz to...
-
Fat and Fats Quiz: Fatty Food & Body Fat Percentage
Take this online Fat & Fats Quiz to learn if you really are what you eat!
-
Protein Quiz: Foods High in Protein
Protein is a staple in our diets, but what happens if we get too much? Take this quiz to find out the truth about protein and...
-
Food Portion Distortion Quiz: Correct Serving Size
Are your portions deceiving you? Take the Food Portion Distortion Quiz to find out how and why gigantic portions trick you into...
-
Sugar Quiz: Facts on Diet & Sugar
Sugar lurks in surprising places. Take the Sugar Quiz to learn of the many ways sugar sneaks into your diet and see what you know...
-
Superfoods Quiz: List of Top Superfoods
Take our Superfoods Quiz! Get to know how unprocessed, raw, organic foods and healthy drinks are rich in nutrients and dietary...
-
Heart Disease Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
Take our Heart Disease Quiz to get answers and facts about high cholesterol, atherosclerosis prevention, and the causes,...
-
13 Easy Ways to Eat More Greens
Learn 13 easy ways to add more greens to your diet. Discover how to add kale, spinach, broccoli rabe and more into your diet.
-
Picture of Heart Detail
The heart is composed of specialized cardiac muscle, and it is four-chambered, with a right atrium and ventricle, and an...
-
Picture of Heart
The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. See a picture of the Heart and learn more...
-
12 Reasons to Love the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a delicious way to eat healthy. We show you how to get the most from this diet with foods like olive...
-
Healthy Fast Food Options: 10 Tips for a Weight Loss Diet
What healthy fast food options are around you? Most fast food can't compare to the health of a well-planned, balanced diet. But...
-
Food Swaps for Meals and Snacks for Heart Health in Pictures
Explore 10 food swaps for heart-wise dining. Learn what food to buy and how to cook in order to make a big difference for your...
-
Worst Fast-Food Sandwiches
Want to know what the good and bad fast-food sandwiches choices are? Our experts explore the nutrition facts of major restaurant...
-
Portion Control: Plate Photos to Lose Weight, Maintain Diet
Portion control can help with weight loss. The right plate amount can help you stick to a healthy diet. Learn to lose weight with...
-
Tips to Eat Healthy When You Dine Out in Pictures
Recognize the dangers of eating out and stay on your healthy diet at restaurants. Learn about healthy eating at restaurants,...
Related Disease Conditions
-
Heart Attack Symptoms and Early Warning Signs
Recognizing heart attack symptoms and signs can help save your life or that of someone you love. Some heart attack symptoms, including left arm pain and chest pain, are well known but other, more nonspecific symptoms may be associated with a heart attack. Nausea, vomiting, malaise, indigestion, sweating, shortness of breath, and fatigue may signal a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms and signs in women may differ from those in men.
-
How the Heart Works
The heart is a very important organ in the body. It is responsible for continuously pumping oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body to sustain life. It is a fist-sized muscle that beats (expands and contracts) 100,000 times per day, pumping a total of five or six quarts of blood each minute, or about 2,000 gallons per day.
-
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Congestive heart failure (CHF) refers to a condition in which the heart loses the ability to function properly. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, myocarditis, and cardiomyopathies are just a few potential causes of congestive heart failure. Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure may include fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, angina, and edema. Physical examination, patient history, blood tests, and imaging tests are used to diagnose congestive heart failure. Treatment of heart failure consists of lifestyle modification and taking medications to decrease fluid in the body and ease the strain on the heart. The prognosis of a patient with congestive heart failure depends on the stage of the heart failure and the overall condition of the individual.
-
Heart Failure
Heart failure (congestive) is caused by many conditions including coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, and conditions that overwork the heart. Symptoms of heart failure include congested lungs, fluid and water retention, dizziness, fatigue and weakness, and rapid or irregular heartbeats. There are two types of congestive heart failure, systolic or left-sided heart failure; and diastolic or right-sided heart failure. Treatment, prognosis, and life-expectancy for a person with congestive heart failure depends upon the stage of the disease.
-
Heart Disease
Heart disease (coronary artery disease) occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart. Heart disease can lead to heart attack. Risk factors for heart disease include: Smoking High blood pressure High cholesterol Diabetes Family history Obesity Angina, shortness of breath, and sweating are just a few symptoms that may indicate a heart attack. Treatment of heart disease involves control of heart disease risk factors through lifestyle changes, medications, and/or stenting or bypass surgery. Heart disease can be prevented by controlling heart disease risk factors.
-
Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
A heart attack occurs when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. Learn about warning signs, causes, complications, risk factors, and treatment.
-
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that help decrease one's cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Omega-3s are found in salmon, sardines, walnuts, and canola oil. These fats may help reduce the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death.
-
Heart Attack Treatment
A heart attack involves damage or death of part of the heart muscle due to a blood clot. The aim of heart attack treatment is to prevent or stop this damage to the heart muscle. Heart attack treatments included medications, procedures, and surgeries to protect the heart muscle against injury.
-
Heart Disease in Women
Heart disease in women has somewhat different symptoms, risk factors, and treatment compared to heart disease in men. Many women and health professionals are not aware of the risk factors for heart disease in women and may delay diagnosis and treatment. Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, tobacco use, overweight/obesity, stress, alcohol consumption, and depression influence heart disease risk in women. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes also increase women's risk of heart disease. Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG), stress-ECG, endothelial testing, ankle-brachial index (ABI), echocardiogram, nuclear imaging, electron beam CT, and lab tests to assess blood lipids and biomarkers of inflammation are used to diagnose heart disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women saves lives. Heart disease can be prevented and reversed with lifestyle changes.
-
Heart Attack Prevention
Heart disease and heart attacks can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and stress management. Symptoms of heart attack in men and women include chest discomfort and pain in the shoulder, neck, jaw, stomach, or back.
-
Heart Disease Treatment in Women
Heart disease treatment in women should take into account female-specific guidelines that were developed by the American Heart Association. Risk factors and symptoms of heart disease in women differ from those in men. Treatment may include lifestyle modification (diet, exercise, weight management, smoking cessation, stress reduction), medications, percutaneous intervention procedure (PCI), and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Heart disease is reversible with treatment.
-
Heart Attack Prevention Overview
Heart attacks are the major causes of unexpected, sudden death among men and women. A heart attack also is a significant cause of heart failure. The process of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) begins early in life. Heart attack prevention should begin in childhood because the atherosclerosis process can not be reversed. The risk of having a heart attack increases if you have diseases or conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and other heart conditions.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Food Portion Distortion FAQs
- Diet & Nutrition FAQs
- Superfoods FAQs
- Sugar FAQs
- Fat and Fats FAQs
- Heart Disease FAQs
- Salt FAQs
- Protein FAQs
- Drugs: The Most Common Medication Errors
- Medication Disposal
- Dangers of Mixing Medications
- Drugs: Buying Prescription Drugs Online Safely
- Generic Drugs, Are They as Good as Brand-Names?
Medications & Supplements
Prevention & Wellness
Subscribe to MedicineNet's Heart Health Newsletter
By clicking "Submit," I agree to the MedicineNet Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. I also agree to receive emails from MedicineNet and I understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet subscriptions at any time.
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.