New Pre-transplant Benefit of Dopamine?

The renal benefit of exogenous dopamine use has been controversial and largely disappointing in clinical practice. The theoretic improvement promised by the low-dose ("renal dose") dopamine has not played out and has been refuted... despite its continued interest in critical care medicine throughout the country.

Another novel use of Dopamine shows a new potential benefit in a study detailed in a recent issue of JAMA. The study shows a reduction in the need for dialysis post-renal transplant with use of pre-transplant low- dose Dopamine in brain-dead patient donors. It is assumed this would translate into a better long term outcome for deceased donor transplant recipients. The mechanism of the protection offered by dopamine is thought to be from limiting the organ injury from cold preservation.