Tourniquets and Abdominal Binders in Ischemic Heart Disease

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Abstract
The effect of venous tourniquets, abdominal binders, and glyceryl trinitrate on the apex cardiogram (ACG) was studied in ten normal subjects and in 40 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). These agents were effective in reducing the amplitude of the "a" wave in patients with IHD. In normal subjects abdominal binder and tourniquets did not cause any changes in the ACG. Five patients with IHD had elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure at rest and all three methods were effective in reducing this pressure to the control levels with a decrease in the amplitude of the "a" wave. In these five patients, cardiac output and intraarterial pressure were not changed during the test.