The treatment of intractable myocardial failure after open-heart surgery by whole body hypothermia.
A case of intractable right ventricular failure following open heart surgery is presented which responded dramatically to moderate whole-body hypothermia. In addition to its depressant effect on heart rate, allowing improved ventricular filling when this is impaired by severe tachycardia, evidence is presented that hypothermia also has a direct positive may make hypothermia valuable in the management of severe heart failure.
D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000601:surgery*; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007223:Infant; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000628:therapy