Deliberate Increase of Oxygen Delivery in the Perioperative Period

This case focuses on increasing the amount of oxygen delivered to the surgical patient during the perioperative period by asking the question: Does the deliberate increase in oxygen delivery with the use of perioperative dopexamine reduce mortality and morbidity in high-risk surgical patients? Dopexamine is a dopamine analogue that produces peripheral vasodilation and an increase in cardiac index without significant increases in myocardial oxygen consumption. High-risk surgical patients were randomized to control or protocol limbs of the study. This randomized controlled study demonstrated a significant reduction in mortality and morbidity when dopexamine was used to increase oxygen delivery during the perioperative period in high-risk surgical patients.