Effect of adding dopexamine to intraoperative volume expansion in patients undergoing major elective abdominal surgery

Background. The contribution of low-dose dopexamine to outcome, when given to increase cardiac output in patients already treated with fluids during major abdominal surgery, is not yet known. Method. We carried out a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. All 100 patients studied were given fluid infusions during surgery guided by stroke volume measurements made with an oesophageal Doppler probe. Patients were randomized to receive dopexamine at the rate of 0.25 mug kg(-1) min(-1) or saline 0.9% (control) for the first 24 h after the start of surgery. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of postoperative morbidity. Results. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in the incidence of postoperative complications, the length of hospital stay, the incidence of morbidity and the use of critical care facilities. The patients randomized to receive dopexamine had significantly more pre-existing disease than the control patients. Mortality in both groups was significantly less than predicted by the POSSUM (Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity) risk prediction score. Conclusion. We could not demonstrate an advantage to using low-dose dopexamine in high-risk patients during major abdominal surgery.