Effects of dobutamine on hepatosplanchnic hemodynamics in patients with chronic liver disease.

Kawasaki T, Moriyasu F, Kimura T, Someda H, Hamato N, Okuma M. Effects of dobutamine on hepatosplanchnic hemodynamics in patients with chronic liver disease. Scand J Gastroenterol 1994; 29:1044-1054.Background: It is said that catecholamines increase hepatic blood flow in patients without liver diseases, although several reports have suggested a blunted response to catecholamines in patients with liver cirrhosis.Methods: We investigated changes in splanchnic blood flow distribution induced by the infusion of dobutamine into peripheral veins of healthy adults (NC group), patients with chronic hepatitis (CH group), and patients with liver cirrhosis (LC group), using a Doppler duplex system (protocol 1). We also investigated changes in hepatic hemodynamics induced by dobutamine infusion in patients with liver cirrhosis (cirrhosis group) and patients without liver diseases (control group), using hepatic catheterization (protocol 2).Results: In protocol 1 the average increase in portal venous blood flow during...