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Evaluation with the Isolated Perfused Cat Heart

DORIS M. H. MERRITT, M.D.; WILL C. SEALY, M.D.; W. GLENN YOUNG, Jr., M.D.; JEROME S. HARRIS, M.D.

AMA Arch Surg. 1958;76(3):365-371.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

During open-heart surgery there is much to be gained from having a still heart. The danger of air embolism is minimized; blood loss is lessened, and the surgeon has a clearly visible and motionless operative field. The presumed tolerance of the still heart to ischemia might be still another important advantage. In hypothermia, operations on the ventricles would not be feasible without a method of control of the heart action.

Certain ions have long been known to have cardioplegic properties. Ringer¹ discovered in 1883 that an excess of potassium is capable of stopping the heart in diastole and that an excess of calcium can do so in systole. Hooker,² Wiggers,³ and, more recently, Swan⁴ have injected potassium salts into the coronary circulation in order to stop ventricular fibrillation. Inhibition of cardiac contractions by the injection of potassium chloride, acetylcholine, methacholine chloride U. S. P. (acetyl-β-methyl-choline chloride; . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Durham, N. C.

Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry and the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Aug. 1, 1957.

Supported in part by a research grant from the National Heart Institute (H 1782-C2), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. A portion of these studies was carried out under Contract # AT 40-1-1646 between Duke University and the Atomic Energy Commission.

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