Introduction
Isoproterenol is a non-specific beta agonist commonly used during electrophysiology studies (EPS). Its β1-stimulation promotes tachyarrhythmia induction by improving cardiac conduction and shortening AV nodal refractoriness. However, the financial burdens of using isoproterenol are significant given the high cost of the medication and the increasing number of catheter ablations.1,2
Dobutamine is a less expensive synthetic compound developed from isoproterenol that is predominantly a β1-agonist with mild β2 and α1-activities.3 It has been well-studied and used in cardiac stress imaging as well as treatment for cardiogenic shock.4 Therefore, dobutamine is a feasible, less expensive alternative to isoproterenol. However, its use for EPS has not been extensively studied.
The purpose of this study was to determine the site-specific effects of various doses of dobutamine on cardiac conduction and refractoriness and assess its safety during EPS.