ORTHOSTATIC CIRCULATORY FAILURE ("GRAVITY SHOCK") IN THE DOG

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Anesthetized dogs, suspended in the upright (feet down) position for 20 min. to 4 hrs., show varying degrees of hypotension, progressive hemoconc. and marked increases in arterio-venous O2 and CO2 differences. After 10-20 min., the plasma protein level diminishes while the protein conc. of lymph increases. These changes can be reversed by returning the animals to the horizontal position and approx. control values are achieved in 30 min. Animals kept in the upright position are extremely sensitive to hemorrhage. Irreversible circulatory failure is often precipitated by the withdrawal of relatively small quantities of blood (30-50 cc). This can usually be prevented and the response to tilting improved by the infusion of saline and/or blood during the upright period.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: