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Biomedical subjects

K B Kern

Publications and source records attributed to K B Kern.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Myocardial perfusion during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): effects of 10, 25 and 50% coronary stenoses.

Myocardial blood flow under normal physiologic conditions remains relatively unaltered by coronary lesions with diameter stenosis of less than 70%. However, during cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), autoregulation of coronary blood flow is compromised. We studied the effect of previously considered 'trivial' coronary stenoses of 10, 25 and 50% on distal myocardial perfusion in 39 swine undergoing CPR for cardiac arrest. Endocardial blood flow distal to the stenosis was significantly less than that proximal in all the different stenoses groups (P < 0.05). A 50% diameter stenosis also compromised epicardial blood flow distal to the stenosis (P < 0.05). This study suggests that any coronary lesion may compromise myocardial perfusion during CPR. Since the vast majority of cardiac arrest victims have coronary artery disease, careful attention to maximizing myocardial blood flow during CPR is needed.

Analysis of Variance↗

A rationale for staged teaching of basic life support.

Basic life support is a crucial part of the Chain of Survival. Unfortunately, however the skill is complex and cannot readily be acquired--let alone retained--in the course of a single training session. Although the problem has long been recognised, no new strategies have been widely implemented to counter the problem. We believe that staged teaching of CPR might provide a solution, and we have devised a program to test this new method. It involves three stages of instruction that we have called bronze, silver, and gold standards. The bronze standard involves opening the airway and providing chest compression without active ventilation: this alone may widen the window of opportunity for successful defibrillation in adult victims in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Ventilation is introduced at silver stage using a ratio of 50:5, with emphasis on its value in the resuscitation of children being used as motivation to bring people back for a second period of instruction. The gold stage teaches conventional CPR. A pilot study has been encouraging and a randomized trial on skill acquisition and skill retention is planned.

Adult↗

Efficacy of chest compression-only BLS CPR in the presence of an occluded airway.

Reluctance of the lay public to perform bystander CPR is becoming an increasingly worrisome problem in the USA. Most bystanders who admit such reluctance concede that fear of contagious disease from mouth-to-mouth contact is what keeps them from performing basic life support. Animal models of prehospital cardiac arrest indicates that 24-h survival is essentially as good with chest compression-only CPR as with chest compressions and assisted ventilation. This simpler technique is an attractive alternative strategy for encouraging more bystander participation. Such experimental studies have been criticized as irrelevant however secondary to differences between human and porcine airway mechanics. This study examined the effect of chest compression-only CPR under the worst possible circumstances where the airway was totally occluded. After 6 min of either standard CPR including ventilation with a patent airway or chest compressions-only with a totally occluded airway, no difference in 24 h survival was found (10/10 vs. 9/10). As anticipated arterial blood gases were not as good, but hemodynamics produced were better with chest compression-only CPR (P < 0.05). Chest compression-only CPR, even with a totally occluded airway, is as good as standard CPR for successful outcome following 6.5 min of cardiac arrest. Such a strategy for the first minutes of cardiac arrest, particularly before professional help arrives, has several advantages including increased acceptability to the lay public.

Airway Obstruction↗

Assisted ventilation during 'bystander' CPR in a swine acute myocardial infarction model does not improve outcome.

BACKGROUND: Mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing is a barrier to the performance of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We evaluated the need for assisted ventilation during simulated single-rescuer bystander CPR in a swine myocardial infarction model of prehospital cardiac arrest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Steel cylinders were placed in the mid left anterior descending coronary arteries of 43 swine. Two minutes after ventricular fibrillation, animals were randomly assigned to 10 minutes of hand-bag-valve ventilation with 17% oxygen and 4% carbon dioxide plus chest compressions (CC+V), chest compressions only (CC), or no CPR (control group). Standard advanced life support was then provided. Animals successfully resuscitated received 1 hour of intensive care support and were observed for 24 hours. Five of 14 CC animals, 3 of 15 CC+V animals, and 1 of 14 controls survived for 24 hours (CC versus controls, P=.07). Myocardial oxygen delivery and consumption were greater among surviving animals than nonsurvivors but did not differ between CC and CC+V animals. CONCLUSIONS: In this acute myocardial infarction model of prehospital single-rescuer bystander CPR, assisted ventilation did not improve outcome.

Animals↗

Postresuscitation left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Treatment with dobutamine.

BACKGROUND: Global left ventricular dysfunction after successful resuscitation is well documented and appears to be a major contributing factor in limiting long-term survival after initial recovery from out-of-hospital sudden cardiac death. Treatment of such postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction has not been examined previously. METHODS AND RESULTS: Systolic and diastolic parameters of left ventricular function were measured in 27 swine before and after successful resuscitation from prolonged ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. Dobutamine infusions (10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 in 14 animals or 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 in 5 animals) begun 15 minutes after resuscitation were compared with controls receiving no treatment (8 animals). The marked deterioration in systolic and diastolic left ventricular function seen in the control group after resuscitation was ameliorated in the dobutamine-treated animals. Left ventricular ejection fraction fell from a prearrest 58 +/- 3% to 25 +/- 3% at 5 hours after resuscitation in the control group but remained unchanged in the dobutamine (10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) group (52 +/- 1% prearrest and 55 +/- 3% at 5 hours after resuscitation). Measurement of the constant of isovolumic relaxation of the left ventricle (tau) demonstrated a similar benefit of the dobutamine infusion for overcoming postresuscitation diastolic dysfunction. The tau rose in the controls from 28 +/- 1 milliseconds (ms) prearrest to 41 +/- 3 ms at 5 hours after resuscitation whereas it remained constant in the dobutamine-treated animals (31 +/- 1 ms prearrest and 31 +/- 5 ms at 5 hours after resuscitation). CONCLUSIONS: Dobutamine begun within 15 minutes of successful resuscitation can successfully overcome the global systolic and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction resulting from prolonged cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Animals↗

Assisted ventilation does not improve outcome in a porcine model of single-rescuer bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing is a barrier to the performance of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We evaluated the need for assisted ventilation during simulated single-rescuer bystander CPR in a swine model of prehospital cardiac arrest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Five minutes after ventricular fibrillation, swine were randomly assigned to 8 minutes of hand-bag-valve ventilation with 17% oxygen and 4% carbon dioxide plus chest compressions (CC + V), chest compressions only (CC), or no CPR (control group). Standard advanced life support was then provided. Animals successfully resuscitated received 1 hour of intensive care support and were observed for 24 hours. All 10 CC animals, 9 of the 10 CC + V animals, and 4 of the 6 control animals attained return of spontaneous circulation. Five of the 10 CC animals, 6 of the 10 CC + V animals, and none of the 6 control animals survived for 24 hours (CC versus controls, P = .058; CC + V versus controls, P < .03). All 24-hour survivors were normal or nearly normal neurologically. CONCLUSIONS: In this model of prehospital single-rescuer bystander CPR, successful initial resuscitation, 24-hour survival, and neurological outcome were similar after chest compressions only or chest compressions plus assisted ventilation. Both techniques tended to improve outcome compared with no bystander CPR.

Animals↗

Myocardial dysfunction after resuscitation from cardiac arrest: an example of global myocardial stunning.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effect of prolonged cardiac arrest and subsequent cardiopulmonary resuscitation on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest from ventricular fibrillation results in cessation of forward blood flow, including myocardial blood flow. During cardiopulmonary resuscitation, myocardial blood flow remains suboptimal. Once the heart is defibrillated and successful resuscitation achieved, reversible myocardial dysfunction, or "stunning," may occur. The magnitude and time course of myocardial stunning from cardiac arrest is unknown. METHODS: Twenty-eight domestic swine (26 +/- 1 kg) were studied with both invasive and noninvasive measurements of ventricular function before and after 10 or 15 min of untreated cardiac arrest. Contrast left ventriculograms, ventricular pressures, cardiac output, isovolumetric relaxation time (tau) and transthoracic Doppler-echocardiographic studies were obtained. RESULTS: Twenty-three of 28 animals were successfully resuscitated and postresuscitation data obtained. Left ventricular ejection fraction showed a significant reduction 30 min after resuscitation (p < 0.05). Regional wall motion analysis revealed diffuse, global left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased significantly in the postresuscitation period (p < 0.05). Isovolumetric relaxation time (tau) was significantly increased over baseline by 2 h after resuscitation (p < 0.05). Similar findings were noted with the Doppler-echocardiographic analysis, including a reduction in fractional shortening (p < 0.05), a reduction in mitral valve deceleration time (p < 0.05) and an increase in left ventricular isovolumetric relaxation time at 5 h after resuscitation (p < 0.05> By 24 h, these invasive and noninvasive variables of systolic and diastolic left ventricular function had begun to improve. At 48 h, all measures of left ventricular function had returned to baseline levels. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial systolic and diastolic dysfunction is severe after 10 to 15 min of untreated cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation. Full recovery of this postresuscitation myocardial stunning is seen by 48 h in this experimental model of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest.

Animals↗

Active compression-decompression versus standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a porcine model: no improvement in outcome.

Active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a new innovative basic life-support technique during which the anterior chest wall is actively decompressed by a suction device. CPR techniques were studied in 36 swine to test the hypothesis that active compression-decompression CPR improves coronary perfusion pressure, myocardial blood flow during CPR, and 24-hour survival. After 30 seconds of untreated ventricular fibrillation, CPR was begun and continued for 12.5 minutes by one of the three following methods: (1) active compression-decompression CPR with a suction device modified to include a precision force transducer; (2) standard CPR performed with a force transducer device; and (3) standard manual CPR performed without a force transducer device. CPR-generated coronary perfusion pressure, myocardial blood flow, and the force of compression were measured at 3 and 10 minutes of resuscitation effort. Initial return of spontaneous circulation, 24-hour survival, and trauma scores were also evaluated. Active compression-decompression CPR produced consistently better results than did standard CPR performed with a force transducer, but not better than standard CPR performed manually without a force transducer. The use of a force-measuring device with standard CPR may compromise hemodynamic response and outcome.

Animals↗

Ventricular fibrillation in a swine model of acute pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine cardiac rhythms in a swine model of acute pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest. DESIGN: Prospective electrocardiographic evaluation of 36 piglets. SETTING: University hospital laboratory. INTERVENTION: Piglets were acutely asphyxiated by endotracheal tube clamping until 10 min after loss of aortic pulsations. Resuscitative efforts were then provided. RESULTS: None of the animals had ventricular fibrillation (VF) when loss of aortic pulsations occurred (11 +/- 2 min after clamping). Fourteen of the 36 piglets exhibited VF during the asphyxial insult. VF converted to asystole in four piglets prior to resuscitation. Immediately prior to resuscitation, VF occurred in 10 piglets, asystole in 19 piglets, and bradyarrhythmias in seven piglets. CONCLUSION: VF occurs frequently in this piglet model of prolonged asphyxial cardiac arrest, consistent with recent observations in pediatric prehospital cardiac arrests. VF occurred late in the asphyxial process.

Animals↗

A randomized, blinded trial of high-dose epinephrine versus standard-dose epinephrine in a swine model of pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether high-dose epinephrine administration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a swine pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest model improves outcome (i.e., resuscitation rate, survival rate, and neurologic function) compared with standard-dose epinephrine. DESIGN: A randomized, blinded study. SETTING: A large animal cardiovascular laboratory at a university. SUBJECTS: Thirty domestic piglets (3 to 4 months of age) were randomized to receive standard-dose epinephrine (0.02 mg/kg) or high-dose epinephrine (0.2 mg/kg) during CPR after 10 mins of cardiac standstill with loss of aortic pulsation after endotracheal tube clamping. INTERVENTIONS: Two minutes of CPR were provided, followed by advanced pediatric life support. Successfully resuscitated animals were supported in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting for 2 hrs and then observed for 24 hrs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Electrocardiogram, thoracic aortic blood pressure, and right atrial blood pressure were monitored continuously until the intensive care period ended. Survival rate and neurologic outcome were determined. Return of spontaneous circulation was obtained in 13 of 15 high-dose epinephrine piglets vs. ten of 15 standard-dose epinephrine piglets (p < .20). Four of 13 high-dose piglets died in the ICU period after initial resuscitation vs. 0 of ten standard-dose piglets (p < or = .05). Nine high-dose piglets survived 2 hrs vs. ten standard-dose piglets. Three piglets in each group survived for 24 hrs, but all were severely neurologically impaired. Two minutes after resuscitation, piglets treated with high-dose epinephrine had higher heart rates (210 +/- 24 vs. 189 +/- 40 beats/min, p < .05) and higher aortic diastolic pressures (121 +/- 39 vs. 74 +/- 40 mm Hg, p < .01). Within 10 mins of return of spontaneous circulation, severe tachycardia (> 240 beats/min) was more frequently noted in the high-dose group than in the standard-dose group (p < .05). All four high-dose piglets that died in the ICU period experienced ventricular fibrillation within 10 mins of return of spontaneous circulation. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose epinephrine did not improve 2-hr survival rate, 24-hr survival rate, or neurologic outcome. High-dose epinephrine resulted in severe tachycardia and hypertension immediately after resuscitation and in a higher mortality rate immediately after resuscitation.

Animals↗

Initial end-tidal CO2 is markedly elevated during cardiopulmonary resuscitation after asphyxial cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the initial end-tidal CO2 (PetCO2) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in asphyxial versus ventricular fibrillatory cardiac arrest. DESIGN: A cohort study. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Forty domestic piglets. INTERVENTIONS: Asphyxial cardiac arrest was produced by clamping the endotracheal tube in 20 piglets and was continued for 10 minutes after loss of aortic pulsations occurred. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced by applying 60 Hz of alternating current via a pacing wire to the myocardium of the other 20 piglets, and continued for a 15-minute downtime. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was then provided to each group for two minutes, followed by standard advanced cardiac life support protocols. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All piglets were instrumented for continuous monitoring of PetCO2, electrocardiogram, central venous pressure, and aortic pressure. PetCO2 of the first breath of CPR was 91 +/- 20 mmHg in the asphyxial group versus 34 +/- 14 mmHg in the VF group (P < 0.001). The asphyxial group continued to exhibit significantly greater PetCO2 for the first five breaths of resuscitation, after which there were no differences. The coronary perfusion pressures during the first breaths of CPR did not differ between the two groups. High initial PetCO2 did not correlate with return of spontaneous circulation. CONCLUSIONS: End-tidal CO2 during the first five breaths of CPR is much higher after an asphyxial cardiac arrest than VF. In each case, the initial PetCO2 appears to reflect alveolar CO2 prior to CPR. After one minute of CPR, PetCO2 is useful in monitoring the effectiveness of CPR.

Animals↗

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Concerns about mouth-to-mouth contact.

BACKGROUND: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed on only a small percentage of patients who suffer cardiac arrest. We conducted a study to elucidate attitudes toward and potential obstacles to performance of bystander CPR. METHODS: Attitude survey of 975 people on the University Heart Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, mailing list. Participants were asked about their willingness to perform CPR under four conditions, with varying relationships (stranger vs relative or friend) and CPR techniques (chest compressions plus mouth-to-mouth ventilation [CC+V] vs chest compressions alone [CC]). RESULTS: Participants rated willingness to perform CPR and concern about disease transmission. Both relationship and CPR technique affected willingness to respond. Only 15% would "definitely" provide CC+V with strangers compared with 68% who would "definitely" perform CC. Even with relatives or friends, only 74% would "definitely" provide CC+V compared with 88% who would "definitely" provide CC. Eighty-two percent of participants were at least "moderately" concerned about disease transmission. CONCLUSION: Concerns regarding mouth-to-mouth ventilation appear to create substantial barriers to performance of bystander CPR. Intensified educational efforts and investigations of new approaches to bystander CPR are warranted.

Adult↗

Failure of intravenous metoprolol to limit acute myocardial infarct size in a nonreperfused porcine model.

The usefulness of intravenous beta-adrenergic receptor blockade in limiting infarct size when neither reperfusion nor collateral flow occurs is unknown. The effect of intravenous metoprolol on limiting myocardial infarct size was therefore examined in a nonreperfused porcine model. Closed-chest techniques were used to occlude the left anterior descending coronary artery, after which animals were randomized at 20 minutes to receive intravenous metoprolol, 0.75 mg/kg, or placebo. Infarct size examined at 5 hours with Evans blue and triphenyltetrazolium staining techniques was expressed as a percentage of total ventricular myocardium at ischemic risk. This percentage was not significantly different between the groups (84% +/- 5% with metoprolol vs 90% +/- 4% with placebo; p = 0.4). Myocardial infarct size was not significantly decreased at 5 hours by early administration of intravenous metoprolol when the infarct artery remained occluded and collateral flow was minimal.

Animals↗

The need for ventilatory support during bystander CPR.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare CPR with chest compressions plus ventilatory support (CC+V) and chest compressions alone (CC). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized study. SETTING: Research laboratory. INTERVENTIONS: After 2 minutes of ventricular fibrillation, 18 domestic swine (20 to 35 kg) were treated first with CC or CC+V for 10 minutes, then with standard advanced cardiac life support. RESULTS: Hemodynamics, survival, and neurologic outcome were determined. All 8 swine subjected to CC+V and all 10 subjected to CC showed return of spontaneous circulation. One animal in each group died within 1 hour. Seven of 8 animals in the CC+V group survived for 24 and 48 hours, compared with 9 of 10 CC animals at 24 hours and 8 of 10 at 48 hours. All 48-hour survivors were neurologically normal. CONCLUSION: In this experimental model of bystander CPR, we could not detect a difference in hemodynamics, 48-hour survival, or neurologic outcome when CPR was applied with and without ventilatory support.

Animals↗