EXPERIMENTAL CORONARY OCCLUSION

Abstract

It has been known since the original observations of Smith 1 and Pardee 2 that in some instances an acute myocardial infarction causes a characteristic change in the ventricular complex of the electrocardiogram. In certain other instances of infarction, however, definite electrocardiographic evidence of the presence of the infarct has not been obtained. The reason for this apparent limitation of the electrocardiographic method in both clinical and experimental studies has not been clearly understood. 3 The observations to be reported here have a bearing on this problem. EXPERIMENTS In our earlier studies the following technic was employed: Dogs were subjected to iso-amyl-ethyl-barbituric acid anesthesia. A cannula was placed in the trachea and connected with the ordinary respiratory pump. The chest was opened along the sternum. The pericardium was opened longitudinally. Its edges were sewed to the lateral wall of the chest, making a hammock to hold the heart in position.