Effectiveness of Dobutamine to Facilitate Induction of Supraventricular Tachycardia Compared to Isoproterenol

Background: Isoproterenol has been utilized for the induction of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias during electrophysiological (EP) testing. However, with the increasing number of catheter ablations performed and the significant increase in the price of isoproterenol in 2015, the cost implications led us to explore alternatives, although the price of isoproterenol has decreased since 2015. Dobutamine is a synthetic compound which was developed from isoproterenol with a similar ability to enhance conduction and shorten refractoriness of the AV node, thus making it an ideal choice given its lower cost. The effectiveness of dobutamine to facilitate induction of arrhythmias has not been extensively studied. Objective: To evaluate the ability of dobutamine to reproduce the properties of isoproterenol to help facilitate induction of arrhythmias. This study also evaluated the safety of dobutamine. Methods: From January 2014 to January 2017, 174 non-consecutive patients, with a diagnosis of confirmed or suspected supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) were enrolled. Dobutamine was used to induce SVT if patients were non-inducible at baseline using programmed electrical stimulation (PES). Post procedure, dobutamine was