Transpulmonary cardiac output measurement in a rat model of cardiac arrest and CPR: impact of vascular access.
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigated the impact of the vascular access site for cardiac output (CO) measurement by thermodilution on survival and neurohistopathological injury in a rat model of cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Secondary the influence of the vascular access site on cardiac output measurements was examined.


METHODS
Rats underwent asphyxial CA and CPR. Thermocouple probes were either placed via the femoral artery into the bifurcation of abdominal aorta/iliac artery (Femoral) or via the carotid artery into the aortic arch (Carotid). CPR was initiated after 9 min CA. Local cerebral blood flow (lCBF) and CO were assessed for 120 min after restoration of spontaneous circulation. Neurohistopathological injury was determined using Fluoro-Jade B staining.


RESULTS
Survival was reduced in the Carotid group compared to the Femoral group (p<0.01). Fluoro-Jade B staining in the hippocampus showed no difference between CA groups. CO measurements were comparable between femoral and carotid artery access sites. lCBF revealed a delayed hyperperfusion in the Carotid group only.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates the influence of the vascular access site for placing thermocouple probes for CO measurement on animal survival after CA/CPR. CO did not differ between the two access sites with consequential different detection sites. Use of the femoral access for CO measurement is recommended for long-term survival after CA/CPR.
Kelm
Robert F
RF
Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
Wagenführer
Jürgen
J
Schmidtmann
Irene
I
Engelhard
Kristin
K
Werner
Christian
C
Noppens
Rüdiger R
RR
D000818:Animals; D002302:Cardiac Output; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley