STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF CARDIAC IRREGULARITY ON THE CIRCULATION

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Abstract
At a preliminary operation wire electrodes were sutured to the right auricle. After recovery changes in rhythm were induced in the un-anesthetized quiet dog by electrical stimulation. Ventricular rate was followed by electrocardiograms and femoral pulse tracings with optical registration. Rate of blood flow (minute cardiac output) was measured by arteriovenous O difference, metabolic rate being assumed to remain constant during the period of observation. Ten dogs showed a decrease of 20% to 54% in the rate of blood flow during auricular fibrillation and a pulse deficit of 50 to 200 per minute. During regular tachycardia there was no pulse deficit when the rate of blood flow was unchanged but a pulse deficit was present when the rate of blood flow was decreased. There may be no causal relation between pulse deficit and rate of blood flow in these experiments; both may result from mechanical factors.

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