Dobutamine Concentration Availability
Dobutamine is commercially available as an injectable solution with a concentration of 12.5 mg/mL in 20 mL single-dose vials (250 mg per vial). 1
Preparation and Administration Details
Dobutamine requires dilution before administration and cannot be given as a direct injection. The FDA-approved labeling provides specific guidance on preparation:
- Dobutamine must be further diluted in an IV container to at least a 50-mL solution before administration 1
- The diluted solution can be prepared at various concentrations, with the most common being:
- 500 μg/mL (0.5 mg/mL)
- 1,000 μg/mL (1 mg/mL)
- 2,000 μg/mL (2 mg/mL) 1
Compatible Diluents
Dobutamine can be diluted in several IV solutions including:
- 5% Dextrose Injection
- 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection
- 5% Dextrose and 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection
- 5% Dextrose and 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection
- Lactated Ringer's Injection
- Several other compatible solutions 1
Clinical Administration Considerations
When administering dobutamine, the following points are important:
- Infusion typically starts at a low dose (0.5-1.0 μg/kg/min) and is titrated based on patient response 1
- The optimal infusion rate varies between patients, usually ranging from 2-20 μg/kg/min 1
- In rare cases, doses up to 40 μg/kg/min may be required 1
- For pharmacological stress testing, dobutamine is typically started at 5 μg/kg/min and increased every 3 minutes to a maximum of 40-50 μg/kg/min 2
- In pediatric patients, a dose of 50 μg/kg/min is often required to achieve target heart rate 2
Important Incompatibilities
- Do not add dobutamine to 5% Sodium Bicarbonate Injection or other strongly alkaline solutions 1
- Do not mix with other drugs in the same solution due to potential physical incompatibilities 1
- Do not use with other agents containing both sodium bisulfite and ethanol 1
Storage and Stability
- Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) 1
- Once diluted, the intravenous solution should be used within 24 hours 1
The standardized concentration of 12.5 mg/mL allows for consistent preparation of various dilutions based on patient weight and required dosing, as detailed in dosing tables provided in the FDA labeling 1.