Inspiratory impedance effects on hemodynamic responses to orthostasis in normal subjects.
BACKGROUND
Breathing through an impedance threshold device (ITD) might prove effective as a countermeasure against post-spaceflight orthostatic hypotension since it increased blood pressure (BP) and cardiac output in supine human subjects.


OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that spontaneous breathing through an ITD would attenuate the reduction in stroke volume and BP during orthostasis in human subjects.


METHODS
There were 19 volunteers (10 men, 9 women) who completed two 80 degrees head-up tilt (HUT) protocols with (active) and without (sham control) an ITD set to open at -7 cm H2O pressure. Heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were measured non-invasively during transition from supine to HUT.


RESULTS
HUT caused significant elevation in HR and reductions in SV, CO, TPR, and MAP. Hemodynamic effects of HUT were similar for sham and active ITD. Further analysis revealed a subset (n = 11) of subjects who demonstrated a > 20% decrease in SV during HUT with the sham ITD. In this subset of subjects, the ITD attenuated (p = 0.004) the %deltaSV (-22.5 +/- 3.0%) during HUT compared with the sham ITD (%deltaSV = -37.4 +/- 2.6%). There was no statistical effect of ITD use in the subgroup who demonstrated < 20% reduction in SV (-16.6 +/- 0.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Use of an ITD may provide significant protection against orthostatic compromise in individuals with greater than 20% reductions in SV, such as astronauts returning from space.
Convertino
Victor A
VA
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, 3400 Rawley E. Chambers Avenue, Building 3611, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA. victor.convertino@amedd.army.mil
Ratliff
Duane A
DA
Eisenhower
Kevin C
KC
Warren
Colie
C
Doerr
Donald F
DF
Idris
Ahamed H
AH
Lurie
Keith G
KG
D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004244:Dizziness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018667:Tilt-Table Test; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology