J C Fackler1, I D Berkowitz, W R Green. 1. Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Md.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation causes retinal hemorrhages in piglets. DESIGN: Nonrandomized observations. SETTING: Animal physiology laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Six 3.5- to 4.5-kg piglets. INTERVENTIONS: Fifty minutes of conventional, closed chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS: Intrathoracic venous pressure (right atrium) and intracranial venous pressure (sagittal sinus) were directly measured. At 5 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the mean (+/- SEM) sagittal sinus pressure was 41 +/- 8 mm Hg and the mean right atrial pressure was 58 +/- 9 mm Hg. The pressures were sustained throughout the 50 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At autopsy, there was no gross or microscopic evidence of retinal hemorrhages. CONCLUSION: These results support the conclusion that cardiopulmonary resuscitation does not cause retinal hemorrhages.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation causes retinal hemorrhages in piglets. DESIGN: Nonrandomized observations. SETTING: Animal physiology laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Six 3.5- to 4.5-kg piglets. INTERVENTIONS: Fifty minutes of conventional, closed chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS: Intrathoracic venous pressure (right atrium) and intracranial venous pressure (sagittal sinus) were directly measured. At 5 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the mean (+/- SEM) sagittal sinus pressure was 41 +/- 8 mm Hg and the mean right atrial pressure was 58 +/- 9 mm Hg. The pressures were sustained throughout the 50 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At autopsy, there was no gross or microscopic evidence of retinal hemorrhages. CONCLUSION: These results support the conclusion that cardiopulmonary resuscitation does not cause retinal hemorrhages.