Hemodynamic management in clinical acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: dopamine vs dobutamine

We investigated short-term hemodynamic effects of dopamine and dobutamine in eight patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. We tested the hypothesis that for a similar increase in cardiac output, left ventricular filling pressure (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure [PCWP]) would increase with dopamine and decrease with dobutamine. Dopamine increased cardiac output (p