Intermittent dobutamine infusion in severe chronic heart failure in elderly patients.

We describe the short- and long-term haemodynamic evolution of an elderly patient with severe intractable heart failure, who was treated with intermitted dobutamine infusion. This therapeutic regimen improved haemodynamic parameters and clinical status (New York Heart Association Functional Class) and prevented the hazardous cardiac, pulmonary and psychiatric disturbances the patient had suffered from with the previous therapeutic approach. No major side-effects were noted, except for a transient drop in arterial blood pressure. Subsequently, 9 other elderly patients were treated successfully with the same protocol. We propose the intermittent use of dobutamine in elderly patients with intractable heart failure, as a useful therapy for the improvement of their cardiac condition and general well-being.