Pericardial Pressure during Transverse Acceleration in Dogs without Thoracotomy

Abstract

Intrapericardial pressures were recorded via a saline-filled Teflon catheter (o. d., 1.3 mm) in 11 anesthetized dogs studied without thoracotomy. Seven animals were studied before, during, and after 1-min exposures to transverse accelerations that ranged from 1G (normal gravitational environment) to 7G when in the supine (+G j ), prone (-G x ), left decubitus (+G v ), and right decubitus (-G y ) positions. Four additional animals were studied at 1G only, while in these same body positions. Pressures also were recorded from both atria, right ventricle, aorta, esophagus, and the potential pleural space. Mean end-expiratory intrapericardial pressure varied directly with the vertical height of the recording site in the thorax during all conditions studied, as would be expected in a hydrostatic system. Transpericardial pressures were not significantly different from zero at all levels of acceleration studied. Transmural left and right atrial pressures were independent of the height of the recording site in the thorax and were unchanged during exposures to transverse accelerations that ranged from plus to minus 7G x .