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Biomedical subjects

H M Spotnitz

Publications and source records attributed to H M Spotnitz.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Effect of cardiopulmonary bypass and global ischemia on human and canine left ventricular mass: evidence for interspecies differences.

Previous studies in dogs suggest that global ischemia with cardiopulmonary bypass causes increased left ventricular (LV) mass and water content. To investigate effects in humans, we developed a simplified method for mass determination by intraoperative two-dimensional echocardiography. LV mass was measured as echocardiographic short-axis myocardial area. This was validated by linear regression versus postmortem LV mass in 10 dogs (r = 0.89) and versus single-plane angiography in 18 patients (r = 0.73). According to this method, there was no change in LV mass (209 gm versus 208 gm; NS) at constant preload in 20 patients during routine operations (eight coronary revascularizations, 10 aortic valve replacements, and two mitral valve replacements). The same method used in 10 dogs after 2 hours of bypass, 60 minutes of normothermic global ischemia, and reperfusion revealed an LV mass increase from 113 +/- 13 gm (SE) to 150 +/- 16 gm (p less than 0.01) at matched preload. In addition, in 14 dogs after 2 hours of bypass alone, LV mass was unchanged (98 +/- 5 gm versus 101 +/- 5 gm; NS) at matched preload. Data recently derived from a separate study in our laboratory revealed a statistically significant increase in canine LV mass when conditions of human cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest were reproduced. We conclude that uncomplicated cardiac operations in humans do not alter LV mass. This supports the safety of crystalloid cardioplegia in humans. While present evidence is not conclusive, it appears that the threshold for edema formation after ischemic injury may be higher in humans than it is in dogs. The clinical relevance of studies of cardioplegia in edematous dog hearts thus deserves careful scrutiny.

Animals↗

Pharmacologic antagonism of propranolol in dogs. III. Effects of dopamine-isoproterenol and glucagon on hemodynamics and myocardial oxygen consumption in ischemic hearts during chronic propranolol administration.

In 31 dogs chronically beta blocked with oral propranolol (12 to 14 mg/kg/day), glucagon (20 micrograms/kg) and combined dopamine (10 micrograms/kg/min) and isoproterenol (0.2 micrograms/kg/min) were given intravenously and tested for hemodynamic efficacy. Dogs were divided into four groups. Basal hemodynamics were obtained In Group I (n = 8) without cardiopulmonary bypass. In Group II (n = 8), hemodynamics were studied after 15 minutes of global ischemia during cardiopulmonary bypass. In Group III (n = 8), hemodynamics were studied after regional ischemia produced by ligation of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. In Group IV (n = 7), myocardial oxygen consumption and left ventricular mechanics were studied before and after 1 hour of cardiopulmonary bypass. Our results indicate the following: (1) Dopamine-isoproterenol improves hemodynamics in basal, post-global ischemic, and post-regional ischemic states. Glucagon improves hemodynamics either insignificantly or to a lesser extent than dopamine-isoproterenol. Furthermore, glucagon produces a larger increase in heart rate, which is not desirable. (2) Both dopamine-isoproterenol and glucagon increase myocardial oxygen consumption in comparison with control.

Animals↗

Left ventricular ejection fraction during cardiac surgery: a two-dimensional echocardiographic study.

Although long-term effects have been studied, the immediate effect of surgery for acquired heart disease on left ventricular function is not well defined. Accordingly, 44 adults with acquired heart disease underwent intraoperative two-dimensional echocardiography with a gas-sterilized transducer before and immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass. Ejection fraction was measured by short-axis area change at the maximum left ventricular cross section (SAAC-EF) and also by a method using multiple sections. Correction of both mitral and aortic regurgitation produced a significant intraoperative decrease in ejection fraction from 0.49 +/- 19 (SD) to 0.32 +/- 0.16 (p less than .02) and from 0.41 +/- 0.13 to 0.30 +/- 0.17 (p less than .0005), respectively. Relief of aortic stenosis and mitral stenosis resulted in an intraoperative increase in ejection fraction from 0.45 +/- 0.10 to 0.55 +/- 0.09 (p less than .02) and from 0.41 +/- 0.05 to 0.50 +/- 0.07 (p less than .05), respectively. Ejection fraction after coronary artery bypass grafting was unchanged. Preload (end-diastolic area) was significantly decreased after correction of aortic regurgitation (p less than .02) but unchanged in other lesions. We conclude that (1) correction of pure mitral and aortic valvular lesions produces characteristic alterations in ejection fraction in the immediate postoperative period; (2) with the possible exception of patients with aortic regurgitation, the observed change in ejection fraction does not appear to reflect changes in preload; (3) noninvasive assessment of left ventricular function by two-dimensional echocardiography during cardiac surgery appears feasible and could provide data important for clinical decision making in the early postoperative period.

Aged↗

Intraoperative 2-dimensional echocardiography: ejection of microbubbles from the left ventricle after cardiac surgery.

Although the presence of entrapped air in the left ventricle at surgery has long been a concern, its prevalence and clinical significance are unknown. Two-dimensional echocardiography provides a unique means for observing intracardiac microbubbles intraoperatively. Accordingly, intraoperative 2-dimensional echocardiograms obtained in 79 patients immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass were examined for the presence of microbubbles. Left ventricular microbubbles were detected in 14% of coronary artery bypass operations (n = 22), 50% of multiple valve replacements (n = 8), 67% of single valve replacements (n = 58), and 100% of atrial septal defect closures (n = 4), left atrial myxoma resections (n = 2), and mitral commissurotomies (n = 2). Microbubbles were not observed in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass with valve replacement (n = 4) or with removal of left ventricular aneurysm (n = 1). Continuous ejection of microbubbles from the left ventricle was frequently noted for extended periods of time and, although no patient in this study showed evidence of gross neurologic dysfunction, the possibility of subclinical organ damage exists. We conclude that 2-dimensional echocardiography is useful for detection of intracardiac microbubbles and therefore may be instrumental in their elimination.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

Four-contact glove probe method for rapid recording of cardiac electrograms during surgery.

A technique is presented for recording four simultaneous electrograms from the heart during operation for cardiac arrhythmias. this technique permits intraoperative maps of cardiac electrical activity to be constructed more rapidly than is possible with single-point mapping, thereby decreasing the risks to the patient and yielding more information about cardiac events.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

Two-dimensional ultrasound and cardiac operations.

Two-dimensional ultrasound was employed for qualitative and quantitative studies during cardiac operations in 74 patients. A gas-sterilized phased-array transducer applied directly to the anterior surface of the heart produced high-quality images without a water path or other special manipulations. The techniques employed were successful in demonstrating alterations in cardiac anatomy associated with valve disease and cardiac tumors. Continuous clouds of microbubbles ejected from the left ventricle immediately following cardiopulmonary bypass were detected in 42% of 45 patients studied. Measurement of short-axis area change during systole proved useful for evaluation of intraoperative changes in left ventricular function. In the perioperative period, with the chest closed, the method detected increasing left ventricular mass during transplant rejection and was useful for monitoring changes in left ventricular performance when image quality was sufficient. The capabilities and limitations of this technique for special studies during cardiac operations should be familiar to surgeons with access to the method.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

The absence of temperature effects on end-diastolic pressure-volume relations in the canine left ventricle determined by two-dimensional echocardiography.

Because of divergent conclusions in the literature regarding the effects of temperature on end-diastolic compliance in the canine left ventricle (LV), pressure-volume relationships at normothermia and hypothermia (28 degrees C) were studied with two-dimensional ultrasound in nine dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass (open pericardium) over a range of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) from 0 to 22 mm Hg. Three perpendicular echocardiographic sections were used with Simpson's rule to measure LV volume and mass at end-diastole for each level of LVEDP. Temperature was varied between 37 degrees and 28 degrees C by systemic cooling, and heart rate was allowed to slow spontaneously with temperature reduction. There was no change in left ventricular end-diastole pressure-volume (LVEDP-LVEDV) relationships at lower temperature provided that ventricular relaxation was complete at end-diastole. In addition, serial postmortem pressure-volume curves carried out by direct saline infusion into sealed ventricles at 38 degrees and 28 degrees C in three additional dogs demonstrated no temperature effects on postmortem LV compliance. Postmortem mass correlated well with echocardiographically determined LV mass, which showed a significant increase during the period of cardiopulmonary bypass, correlating with the development of myocardial edema. In summary, there appears to be no effect of moderate hypothermia on LVEDP-LVEDV relationships, provided the heart is in true diastasis at end-diastole. In addition, echocardiographic techniques can be used to study LV mass change on cardiopulmonary bypass.

Animals↗

Mechanical circulatory support via the left ventricular vent: the concept of left ventricular copulsation.

Left ventricular copulsation was evaluated as a means of circulatory support in an experimental canine cardiogenic shock preparation. Copulsation was effected by a commercially available pulsatile assist device which was attached to an apical left ventricular vent cannula. The hemodynamic effects were compared with those of intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) in the same animals. Copulsation produced a 35.6% increase in mean aortic blood pressure, a 32.3% reduction in mean left atrial pressure, a 66.7% increase in cardiac output, and a 76.2% increase in coronary blood flow. The improvement in these variables was significantly greater during left ventricular copulsation than during IABP (p less than 0.05). The method is simple, uses equipment that is readily available, and is potentially a powerful intermediate circulatory support modality between IABP and more complex techniques.

Animals↗

Systolic and diastolic properties of the human left ventricle during valve replacement for chronic mitral regurgitation.

M mode and two dimensional echocardiography were combined with pressure-flow data to analyze systolic mechanics and diastolic compliance in nine patients during valve replacement for chronic mitral regurgitation. Both M mode (six patients) and two dimensional (four patients) echographic analyses revealed large decreases in early postoperative shortening fraction (-24 +/- 17 [standard deviation] percent M mode study, p < 0.01: -30 +/- 12 percent two dimensional study, p < 0.02), which were significantly different from small changes observed in control subjects (M mode study, +7 +/- 10 percent, 25 subjects and two dimensional study, -7 +/- 14 percent, 8 subjects). Additional data suggest that ventricular compliance is increased in chronic mitral regurgitation and that elimination of the low impedance left atrial pathway by valve replacement is associated with a significant increase in wall stress (five patients, p < 0.02) that appears to be responsible for the decreased ejection fraction postoperatively. Analysis of hemodynamic variables other than ejection fraction and rate of circumferential shortening revealed no difference between five postoperative patients with chronic mitral regurgitation and five with coronary artery disease. These results in human subjects confirm predictions from studies in animal models and suggest that unique properties of chronic mitral regurgitation and demand special attention when patients with this condition are being evaluated for surgery.

Adult↗

Effect of nitroprusside on end-diastolic pressure-diameter relations of the human left ventricle after pericardiotomy.

Although studies in human beings have suggested that sodium nitroprusside may increase the diastolic compliance of the left ventricle, animal models have provided contradictory evidence following pericardiotomy. The effect of nitroprusside on the human left ventricle after pericardiotomy has not been reported. Accordingly, we studied the effects of intravenous sodium nitroprusside in eight patients during cardiac operations. Curves relating left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (EDP) to echocardiographically determined end-diastolic diameter (EDD) were determined during the transfusion of volume from the reservoir of the heart-lung machine (EDP varied from 5 to 35 mm Hg) before and during nitroprusside administration (1 to 4 mcg/kg/min). An average relation (EDP = 0.41 +/- 0.40 [SD] e1.18 +/- 0.58 EDD was obtained for eight patients by exponential curve fitting (r = 0.80 +/-08). Nitroprusside decreased systolic left ventricular pressure (118 +/- 16 to 100 +/- 13 mm Hg, p less than 0.001, paired t test) but did not alter the control curve relating EDP to EDD. We conclude that EDD-EDP relations of the human left ventricle are not altered by nitroprusside administration in the absence of the restraining influence of the pericardium. This suggests that nitroprusside has no significant direct effect on diastolic properties of the human myocardium.

Adult↗

Pharmacologic antagonism of beta adrenergic blockade in dogs. II. Hemodynamic effects of simultaneous intravenous infusion of isoproterenol and dopamine during chronic propranolol administration.

Chronic beta adrenergic blockade was induced in eight dogs with 240 to 360 mg of oral propranolol dailty for 2 to 6 weeks. Beta blockade was confirmed by a minimal heart rate response to isoproterenol, 0.06 micrograms/kg/min, in a pentobarbital-anesthetized, open-chest preparation. Subsequent to confirmation of beta blockade, hemodynamic effects of isoproterenol and dopamine were examined individually and in combination. A desirable balance of arterial pressure and cardiac output was achieved by combining isoproterenol, 0.2 to 2.0 micrograms/kg/min, with dopamine, 5 to 20 micrograms/kg/min. This combination increased mean arterial pressure (109 +/- 9 versus 81 +/- 7), cardiac output (4.3 +/- .5 versus 2.8 +/- .3 L/min) and heart rate 156 +/- 4 versus 120 +/- 7) (p less than 0.05). The hemodynamic effects of combined isoproterenol-dopamine were superior to the effects of either drug alone and suggest a method for effective circulatory support of man during chronic beta adrenergic blockade.

Animals↗