Key result
Pericardiotomy shifted left ventricular pressure-volume curves down and to the right compared to the intact pericardium, with divergence occurring before diastolic pressure exceeded 10 mm Hg.
Why the study?
Does the normal pericardium affect the left ventricular diastolic pressure-volume relationship?
Does the normal pericardium affect the left ventricular diastolic pressure-volume relationship?
The normal pericardium significantly influences the left ventricular diastolic pressure-volume relationship, particularly at higher volumes and pressures.
Supports pericardial effects on LV diastolic curves in animals; leaves open human translation and clinical relevance.
Closed chest placement of tantalum screws in the endocardium was performed an biplane cineradiography of these markers was used to measure LV dimensions while changing total blood volume. Measurements were then repeated following thoracotomy, pericardiotomy and reclosure of the thorax. The LV pressure-volume curves obtained after pericardiotomy always were shifted down and to the right from curves obtained before thoractomy and pericardiotomy. The divergence between the curves increased as LV volume increased, the curves being identical at small LV volumes and at low diastolic pressures. In each experiment the curves diverged before LV diastolic pressure exceeded 10 mm Hg, however.
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Ringertz et al. (1981) studied this question. Pericardiotomy vs. Intact pericardium (before thoracotomy and pericardiotomy) was evaluated on Left ventricular diastolic pressure-volume relationship. Pericardiotomy shifted left ventricular pressure-volume curves down and to the right compared to the intact pericardium, with divergence occurring before diastolic pressure exceeded 10 mm Hg.
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