Ventricular fibrillation in a swine model of acute pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest.
OBJECTIVE
To determine cardiac rhythms in a swine model of acute pediatric asphyxial cardiac arrest.


METHODS
Prospective electrocardiographic evaluation of 36 piglets.


METHODS
University hospital laboratory.


METHODS
Piglets were acutely asphyxiated by endotracheal tube clamping until 10 min after loss of aortic pulsations. Resuscitative efforts were then provided.


RESULTS
None of the animals had ventricular fibrillation (VF) when loss of aortic pulsations occurred (11 +/- 2 min after clamping). Fourteen of the 36 piglets exhibited VF during the asphyxial insult. VF converted to asystole in four piglets prior to resuscitation. Immediately prior to resuscitation, VF occurred in 10 piglets, asystole in 19 piglets, and bradyarrhythmias in seven piglets.


CONCLUSIONS
VF occurs frequently in this piglet model of prolonged asphyxial cardiac arrest, consistent with recent observations in pediatric prehospital cardiac arrests. VF occurred late in the asphyxial process.
Berg
R A
RA
Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson 85724-5073, USA.
Kern
K B
KB
Otto
C W
CW
Samson
R A
RA
Sanders
A B
AB
Ewy
G A
GA
D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000150:complications*; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013552:Swine; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology*