['To evaluate the effects of dobutamine on cerebral hemodynamics in septic patients with stable hemodynamic status.', 'Open-label, prospective study.', 'Multidisciplinary department of intensive care in a university hospital.', 'Fourteen mechanically ventilated septic patients with altered mental status and stable hemodynamic status.', 'Dobutamine infusion, in incremental doses of 2 micrograms/kg/min every 10 mins, for < or = 10 micrograms/kg/min.', 'Mean flow velocity in the right middle cerebral artery, as measured by transcranial Doppler, increased from 68 +/- 6 (SEM) cm/sec at baseline to 80 +/- 7 cm/sec (p < .001) with 10 micrograms/kg/min of dobutamine. Cerebral arterial-venous oxygen content difference and cerebral oxygen extraction ratio concurrently decreased from 4.1 +/- 0.2 to 3.4 +/- 0.3 mL/dL (p < .05) and from 46 +/- 3% to 36 +/- 4% (p < .05), respectively. Dobutamine also increased cardiac index from 3.8 +/- 0.3 to 6.3 +/- 0.5 L/min/m2 (p < .001) and systemic oxygen delivery (DO2) from 497 +/- 35 to 817 +/- 55 mL/min/m2. Mean arterial pressure increased slightly from 77 +/- 3 mm Hg to a maximum value of 86 +/- 4 mm Hg (p < .05). Relative changes in mean flow velocity were better correlated with cardiac index (r2 = .52, p < .001) than with arterial pressure (r2 = .20; p < .001). Cerebral DO2 (estimated by the product of mean flow velocity and arterial oxygen content) increased by 12% with dobutamine, whereas estimated cerebral oxygen consumption (VO2) did not.'] Does dobutamine increase cerebral blood flow velocity and jugular bulb hemoglobin saturation in septic patients?