MECHANISM OF DECREASE IN CARDIAC OUTPUT CAUSED BY OPENING THE CHEST

Cardiac preload: hemodynamic physiology during thoracic surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Operations in pleural cavity have circulatory effects both in pulmonary and systemic circulations. Nevertheless studies of these effects have yielded conflicting results. The importance of good understanding of hemodynamic changes during the operation in pleural cavity consists in fact that they are one of the factors influencing postoperative course of operated patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Dominating changes in the hemodynamics are represented by an increase of the cardiac output after opening the pleura. Changes in the arterial pressure are clinically unimportant and decreased cardiac output cannot be explained by preload as the preload is almost constant during the whole operation procedure. Arterial pressures in the pulmonary circulation are also increased after opening of pleura but only in the hip position so it depends on the body position rather than on the operation itself.

SUMMARY

As far as it is known, circulatory and ventilatory consequences of thoracotomy are influenced particularly by the position of the patient's body on the operation table. During operation performed on the lung hemodynamics are influenced particularly by the individual steps of the operation procedure and by the position of the body. The hemodynamics are also influenced by metabolic functions of lungs particularly by the increased turnover of catecholamines in the lungs (increased total peripheral resistance and arterial pressures).

Central venous pressure and cardiac function during spaceflight

Early in spaceflight, an apparently paradoxical condition occurs in which, despite an externally visible headward fluid shift, measured central venous pressure is lower but stroke volume and cardiac output are higher, and heart rate is unchanged from reference measurements made before flight. This paper presents a set of studies in which a simple three-compartment, steady-state model of cardiovascular function is used, providing insight into the contributions made by the major mechanisms that could be responsible for these events. On the basis of these studies, we conclude that, during weightless spaceflight, the chest relaxes with a concomitant shape change that increases the volume of the closed chest cavity. This leads to a decrease in intrapleural pressure, ultimately causing a shift of blood into the vessels of the chest, increasing the transmural filling pressure of the heart, and decreasing the central venous pressure. The increase in the transmural filling pressure of the heart is responsible, through a Starling-type mechanism, for the observed increases in heart size, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, stroke volume, and cardiac output.

Haemodynamic effects of selective positive end-expiratory pressure after unilateral pulmonary hydrochloric acid-aspiration in dogs

We investigated 1) the effects of HCl-mediated acute left lung injury on regional juxtacardiac pressures and 2) the haemodynamic effects of different modes of ventilation before and after induction of left lung injury. The study was done in 7 mechanically ventilated, anaesthetized dogs. Juxtacardiac pressures and haemodynamic variables were recorded during 1) differential ventilation (DV) with zero positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP = 0) and 2) DV with general (G) PEEP and selective right (R) and left (L) lung PEEP. Left lung injury increased left, but not right pleural pressure of pericardial pressure. Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) were increased moderately. Cardiac output (CO) did not change. GPEEP reduced LV filling and cardiac output markedly and by approximately the same degree before and after lung injury. The haemodynamic effects of LPEEP were minor before as well as after the induction of lung injury. RPEEP, which had only moderate haemodynamic effects during control, caused a marked reduction in cardiac function after the induction of left lung injury. The transmission of airway pressure to the pleura was reduced in the diseased lung. These results suggest that serious haemodynamic side effects may be avoided by applying PEEP selectively to the diseased lung.

Pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation-perfusion relationships during hypocapnia and thoracotomy in anaesthetized dogs

The effects of hypocapnia and thoracotomy, both individually and combined, on pulmonary gas exchange and distribution of ventilation-perfusion ratio (Va/Q) were studied in anesthetized and paralyzed mongrel dogs by the six inert gas elimination technique. Normocapnia (PaCO2 35 mmHg) and hypocapnia (PaCO2 20 mmHg) were produced sequentially by varying the inspired CO2 concentration. Thoracotomy was performed at the fourth intercostal space. When ventilation was changed from normocapnia to hypocapnia without thoracotomy, PaO2 decreased from 160 +/- 10 to 147 +/- 11 mmHg and Qs/Qt increased from 0.0 +/- 0.0 to 0.6 +/- 0.7%. However, no change was observed in perfusion distribution following thoracotomy during normocapnia, PaO2 decreased from 160 +/- 10 to 113 +/- 15 mmHg together with a shift of perfusion toward the low Va/Q region. However, no change was observed in Qs/Qt. When ventilation was changed from normocapnia to hypocapnia with thoracotomy, PaO2 decreased from 113 +/- 15 to 98 +/- 12 mmHg and Qs/Qt increased from 0.3 +/- 0.8 to 3.4 +/- 2.0%. After thoracotomy, a shift of perfusion toward the low Va/Q region was observed, which was probably responsible for the decrease in PaO2. The decrease in PaO2 during hypocapnia was due to an increase in the true shunt rather than the development of low Va/Q region. Hypocapnia combined with thoracotomy produced a further reduction of PaO2 and a greater increase in Qs/Qt.

Endocrine responses to positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation in patients who have recently undergone heart surgery

The effect of positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation (PEEP) on angiotensin II and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) was studied postoperatively following heart surgery. In nine patients pressures were recorded in the radial artery, pulmonary artery and the right atrium. PEEP of 5 cmH2O (0.5 kPa) and 10 cmH2O (1 kPa) increased angiotensin II from 38.8 +/- 20.3 (mean +/- s.e.mean) to 56.7 +/- 29.6 (n.s.) and 66.7 +/- 28.7 (P less than 0.05) pmol/l, respectively. Plasma-ANF showed no significant changes during PEEP. Pulmonary artery wedge pressure increased from 12.9 +/- 2.0 to 14.1 +/- 2.0 (n.s.) and 18.5 +/- 2.1 (P less than 0.01) mmHg, and right atrial pressure from 8.3 +/- 1.7 to 9.8 +/- 1.7 (n.s.) and 12.9 +/- 1.7 (P less than 0.01) mmHg with 5 and 10 cmH2O (0.5 and 1.0 kPa) of PEEP, respectively. Systemic blood pressure tended to decrease (n.s.) with PEEP. In conclusion, PEEP markedly increased angiotensin II. This may represent an important compensatory mechanism, helping to prevent reduction in aortic pressure during PEEP. ANF, however, did not change with PEEP of 5 or 10 cmH2O (0.5 and 1.0 kPa).

Mean circulatory filling pressure during splanchnic nerve stimulation and whole-body hypoxia in the anaesthetized cat

1. Mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP) was measured in cats under chloralose anaesthesia by obstruction of blood flow in the pulmonary artery. Pressures in the aorta, hepatic portal vein and right atrium were recorded, and MCFP was estimated from the value at which all three pressures became equal when blood was pumped from aorta to vena cava during circulatory arrest. Simultaneous equality was not attained at MCFP values below 5 mmHg. 2. In cats ventilated by positive pressure after administration of gallamine, MCFP was 9.7 +/- 0.3 mmHg (n = 14). The values of MCFP measured in six cats before and after administration of gallamine did not differ significantly. Change of blood volume altered MCFP linearly over the range 5-21 mmHg. Noradrenaline (7.5 micrograms kg-1 min-1) increased MCFP from 9.3 +/- 0.9 to 16.5 +/- 0.6 mmHg (n = 4), and phentolamine (2 mg kg-1) reduced it to 5.6 +/- 0.3 mmHg (n = 5). 3. Changes in MCFP were evoked at different circulating blood volumes by stimulation of the splanchnic sympathetic nerves and by whole-body hypoxia. Ablation of all splanchnic nerves reduced MCFP from 9.4 +/- 0.5 to 7.1 +/- 0.3 mmHg (n = 5) and stimulation of their distal ends at 10 Hz increased it by 4.1 +/- 0.4 mmHg (n = 4); similar increments were obtained at different blood volumes and initial values of MCFP. 4. Hypoxia increased MCFP by 0.23 mmHg per 1 mmHg fall in arterial oxygen tension below Pa,O2 56 mmHg (r = -0.86; n = 24). Similar increments were obtained at different blood volumes and initial values of MCFP. Ablation of all splanchnic nerves reduced the increments by 60%, and administration of phentolamine abolished them.

Selective positive end-expiratory pressure and cardiac function in dogs

Effects of general (G) versus selective (S) right (R) and left (L) positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were compared during differential lung ventilation in 11 anaesthetized dogs in the supine position. GPEEP 20 cmH2O decreased cardiac output (1 min-1) from 2.9 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SE) to 1.7 +/- 0.5 (p less than 0.05), RPEEP from 2.8 +/- 0.2 to 2.2 +/- 0.2 (p less than 0.05) while LPEEP caused no significant change in cardiac output. GPEEP increased pleural pressure more than SPEEP. Pleural pressure was asymmetric during SPEEP. Both SPEEP and GPEEP increased pericardial pressure uniformly, but the increase was less marked with SPEEP. During GPEEP 20 cmH2O transmural left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) decreased markedly. SPEEP caused less marked reductions in transmural LVEDP. Qualitatively similar, but less marked changes were observed with PEEP 10 cmH2O. In conclusion, cardiac output decreased less with selective PEEP than with general PEEP. This was explained by less increase in pleural and pericardial pressure, and accordingly less decrease in LV transmural filling pressure.

Instantaneous aortic blood flow measurement with range-gated Doppler flowmeter in anesthetized rat

The availability of a range-gated Doppler flowmeter system enabled us to construct miniaturized probes using piezoelectric crystals that emit an 8 MHz signal and receive the reflected sound waves from passing blood cells. The finished flow probe are 4 mm long and 3 mm in external diameter with lumen diameter appropriate to be placed around the ascending aorta in the rat. The accuracy of the Doppler method in measuring cardiac output in the rat was established by the demonstration of a significant correlation between cardiac output simultaneously measured from ultrasonic (Qd) and thermodilution (Qt) procedures in anesthetized Wistar rats (Qd = 0.55, Qt - 6.67 cm3/min, r = 0.69, p less than 0.001). An average Qd determination is 52.5% +/- 16% of average Qt. From aortic blood pressure and phasic aortic blood velocity, we have compared hemodynamic and cardiovascular functions in 15 spontaneously hypertensive rats and in 15 control Wistar-Kyoto rats under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia. The present study demonstrates that phasic aortic blood flow can be quantified easily and accurately in anesthetized rats by using a range-gated Doppler flowmeter and an implantable perivascular flow probe, and should provide a relatively simply method for investigating hemodynamic characteristics in models of disease such as ventricular hypertrophy and hypertension.

Haemodynamic responses to stimulation of the cardiac autonomic nerves in the anaesthetized cat with closed chest

1. The changes in cardiac output and mean right atrial pressure (R.A.P.) evoked by stimulation of the cardiac autonomic nerves were investigated in cats under chloralose anaesthesia, with unopened chests and spontaneous respiration, and with active vascular reflexes. Cardiac output was measured by thermal dilution; the technique used was calibrated against the direct Fick method.2. The initial values of R.A.P. and output were varied by infusion of dextran-saline solution followed by withdrawal of blood. At positive values of R.A.P. withdrawal of blood caused a fall in R.A.P. with no change in cardiac output. At negative R.A.P. blood withdrawal caused a fall in output with little change in R.A.P.: the linear regression coefficient for output on R.A.P. was 48.2 ml./min.kg.mmHg (S.E. 2.06, n = 63, nine cats).3. Stimulation of the right cardiac sympathetic nerve increased heart rate by 69.2 beats/min (S.E. 4.0) from the resting rate of 158 beats/min (S.E. 6.3, ten cats). The acceleration was accompanied in most instances by a rise in cardiac output and a fall in R.A.P. and the magnitude of the rise in output was related to that of the fall in R.A.P.4. In no experiment could R.A.P. be reduced below -2.5 mmHg either by withdrawal of blood or by sympathetic stimulation. At negative values of R.A.P. the fall in R.A.P. and rise in output evoked by sympathetic stimulation were small; substantial changes could be obtained only from positive initial values of R.A.P. The proportional increase in output evoked by a given proportional increase in heart rate during near-maximal sympathetic stimulation had a linear relationship to the initial value of R.A.P. over the range -2 to +8 mmHg. The output increment was less than proportional to the rate increment at all values of R.A.P. below +3 mmHg.5. In five experiments stimulation of the left cardiac sympathetic nerve evoked a greater increase in output for a given increase in heart rate than did stimulation of the right nerve; on the other hand both nerves gave similar increments of output for a given fall in R.A.P.6. Stimulation of the distal end of the right vagus nerve slowed the heart and caused a fall in cardiac output and a rise in R.A.P. The change in output associated with a given change in R.A.P. was significantly greater (P = 0.05) during sympathetic than during vagal stimulation in 14 out of 18 tests; the difference increased as circulating volume was reduced.7. It is concluded that the relationship between cardiac output and R.A.P. during sympathetic and vagal stimulation is consistent with the hypothesis that neurally evoked changes in cardiac performance vary output mainly, but not exclusively, by inducing changes in R.A.P. which alter the pressure gradient for the return of blood to the right atrium from the periphery.

Studies on the mechanism of the cardiovascualr effects of methyldopa

Oral administration of methyldopa (100 mg/kg, twice daily for 3 days) to mongrel dogs produced a significant decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. The drug treatment affected neither the resting venous tone nor the cardiac output. Thus, the hypotensive effect of the drug was predominantly due to a reduction in total peripheral resistance. Vasoconstrictor responses of the renal vasculature to sympathetic nerve stimulation were significantly impaired after methyldopa at all the frequencies, while mesenteric vasoconstrictor responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation were impaired only at the lower stimulation frequencies. In addition, methylnorepinephrine was a significantly less potent vasoconstrictor than norepinephrine in the renal vasculature, but was equipotent to norepinephrine in the mesentery. The finding of a reduction in the renal vascular resistance of methyldopa-treated dogs, with no such alteration in the mesenteric vascular resistance, is consistent with the nerve stimulation studies. Therefore, the results of the present investigation indicate that in addition to the existing evidence favoring a central site of action for methyldopa, the impairment of peripheral sympathetic neuronal function is also of importance in accounting for the hemodynamic alterations observed following treatment with methyldopa.

Cardiorespiratory function during thoracic anaesthesia: a comparison of two-lung ventilation and one-lung ventilation with and without PEEP5

Previous studies have shown that, in patients undergoing thoracic surgery, a relatively high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP of 10 cmH2O = PEEP10) has no beneficial effect on oxygenation during one-lung ventilation (OLV). In the present investigation, cardiorespiratory function was examined in 11 patients intubated endobronchially and undergoing thoracotomy. Comparison was made between two-lung ventilation (TLV) and OLV and between zero end-expiratory pressure and PEEP5 during OLV. Cardiac output was determined to obtain information of the total oxygen delivery (cardiac output times arterial O2 content. The change from TLV to OLV was accompanied by a marked fall in PaO2 and a marked rise in shunt, whereas no significant change was observed in mean cardiac output. Oxygen delivery also remained unchanged due to relatively small decrease in SaO2 (arterial oxygen saturation) and maintenance of cardiac output. The application of PEEP5 during OLV produced no significant changes in these parameters. The findings in individual patients demonstrated the relative importance of cardiac output in determining oxygen delivery during OLV. A significant negative correlation was found between inspiratory airway pressure and cardiac index during OLV.

Augmentation of myocardial digoxin concentration in hemorrhagic shock

The effect of the shock state on myocardial digoxin uptake and plasma digoxin levels was examined in unanesthetized dogs following hemorrhage. Five minutes after intravenous administration of tritiated digoxin the myocardial digoxin content in animals with shock was greater than in normal animals in both left ventricle (LV) (165 plus or minus 15 (SD) ng/g vs 130 plus or minus 26 ng/g, P smaller than 0.02 and right ventricle (RV) (142 plus or minus 13 ng/g vs 111 plus or minus 22 ng/g. P smaller than 0.02) as was the plasma digoxin concentration (61.6 plus or minus 11.8 ng/ml vs 44.3 plus or minus 4.6 ng/ml, P smaller than 0.02). After one hour, in another group of dogs, the difference in myocardial concentration of digoxin between test and normal groups was even greater (LV: 213 plus or minus 26 ng/g vs 133 plus or minus 13 ng/g, P smaller than 0.001; RV: 171 plus or minus 9 ng/g vs 111 plus or minus 8 ng/g. P smaller than 0.001) despite lower plasma digoxin concentration in the test group (12.9 plus or minus 2.9 ng/ml vs 17.3 plus or minus 2.5 ng/ml, P smaller than 0.05). Diminished peripheral blood flow, peripheral digoxin delivery and uptake were probably responsible for the early difference in plasma digoxin levels. Resultant greater plasma concentrations of digoxin presented to the myocardium in the early phase, coupled with relative preservation of myocardial blood flow, may explain the greater myocardial uptake in animals with shock although myocardial mechanical factors may also be implicated. Augmented uptake of digoxin by the myocardium in canine hemorrhagic shock may be relevant to the altered susceptibility to glycoside action in clinical shock syndromes.