Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CCTN Practice Questions and Study Guide

Dopamine administered at a rate of 10-20 mcg/kg/min primarily exhibits actions consistent with being a beta-1 agonist. At this dosing range, dopamine stimulates beta-1 adrenergic receptors, which are predominantly found in the heart. This stimulation leads to increased heart rate (positive chronotropic effect) and enhanced myocardial contractility (positive inotropic effect), making it particularly useful in managing conditions such as heart failure or shock where improved cardiac output is desired.

While dopamine can also show some alpha-1 agonistic properties at higher doses, those effects primarily become prominent at doses above 20 mcg/kg/min. Hence, at the 10-20 mcg/kg/min range, the predominant action is that of a beta-1 agonist, contributing to cardiac support rather than significant vasoconstriction that would likely result from alpha-1 receptor activation. Therefore, understanding the specific receptor interactions at varying doses of dopamine is crucial for clinical application in transplant and critical care settings.