[The effect of intravenous dopamine on the hemodynamics of the heart].

The pharmacological study of dopamine was conducted on 14 patients: eleven normal patients and three with incipient myocardiopathies. The dosages used were 3, 6 and 12 mug/kg/min. The "pump" function, the peripheral resistances, the contractility and the ventricular compliance were studied. Dopamine is a positive inotropic agent without chronotropic action at doses of 6 and 12 mug/kg/min. It acts by increasing the contractility and the venous return and by decreasing the peripheral resistances; this effect disappears with strong dosages.