The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 70, 896-908, Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
A simple method of resuscitation and short-term preservation of the canine cadaver heart
DK Cooper
A simple technique of resuscitation of the canine cadaver heart is
described. The method includes internal manual cardiac massage and
positive-pressure ventilation of the lungs after isolation of the heart-
lung preparation from the rest of the systemic circulation. This techniqle
proved successful in 20 of 25 cases after periods of anoxic cardiac arrest
ranging from 15 to 128 minutes (average 35 minutes). An evaluation of the
state of the myocardium in the postresuscitation period was made by a
number of hemodynamic, electrocardiographic, blood chemistry, and
histopathological observations, with particular note being taken of those
relating to left ventricular contractility and to hematoxylin-basic
fuchsin-picric acid (HBFP) staining.