Effect of fenoldopam mesylate in critically ill patients at risk for acute renal failure is dose dependent.

Background: Acute renal failure (ARF) is common and difficult to prevent, especially in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with cancer. Therapeutic trials with various agents have generally been ineffective in preventing ARF. We describe the effects of two different doses of the dopamine DA-1 receptor agonist fenoldopam mesylate on renal function in a series of critically ill cancer patients at risk of developing ARF.