A 72 year old male was scheduled for radiofrequency ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation under general anesthesia. After induction, and before orotracheal intubation, he developed severe bradycardia with a 4.3 second asystole and hypotension requiring atropin and external chest compressions (Panel A). Fluoroscopy revealed massive air entrapment inside the gastric cavity probably owing to ...

By measuring blood flow in the ascending aorta with an electromagnetic flowmeter, continuous observations of cardiac output were performed in the dog during various cardiovascular reflexes. Attempts were made to analyze how changes in cardiac output and peripheral resistance contributed to each reflex. The depressor reflex to sinus nerve stimulation was attributable to three separate processes ...

Among the many cardiopulmonary reflexes, this review specifically examines the roles of the arterial baroreflex during the Bezold-Jarisch reflex (BJR). Activation of cardiopulmonary vagal afferent C-fibers induces hypotension, bradycardia, and apnea, which are known collectively as the BJR; myocardial ischemia and infarction might induce the BJR. Arterial baroreflex has been established as an i...

Cerebral vasospasm remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Use of either intra-arterial or intracisternal papaverine as an alternative treatment of refractory cerebral vasospasm has been associated with various complications including haemodynamic instabilities. However, our search in literature did not reveal association of bradycardia ...

I read with interest the abstract by Sta. Cruz and Codolosa 1 published recently in CHEST (March 2014), about a diabetic patient with recurrent isolated right ventricular Takotsubo syndrome in the setting of diabetic ketoacidosis and pulmonary aspiration. The authors ascribe the recurrent Takotsubo syndrome in their patient to dysautonomia, as inferred from the bradycardia and the “elevated pre...

OBJECTIVE The bradycardic agent zatebradine (UL-FS 49) reduces heart rate without negative inotropic or proarrhythmic effects. The aim was to experimentally characterize the influence of zatebradine on arterial baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and heart rate variability (HRV) which are generally considered as estimates of vagal activity and have prognostic value in patients after myocardial infarct...

Opioids evoke respiratory depression, bradycardia, and reduced respiratory sinus arrhythmia, whereas serotonin (5-HT) agonists stimulate respiration and cardiorespiratory interactions. This study tested whether serotonin agonists can prevent the inhibitory effects of opioids on cardiorespiratory function. Spontaneous and rhythmic inspiratory-related activity and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) n...

In humans, chronic stressors have long been recognized as potential causes for cardiac dysregulation. Despite this, the underlying mechanistic links responsible for this association are still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether exposure to a paradigm of sub-chronic stress can provoke enduring changes on the heart rate of experimental rats and, if so, to reveal ...

In humans, chronic stressors have long been recognized as potential causes for cardiac dysregulation. Despite this, the underlying mechanistic links responsible for this association are still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether exposure to a paradigm of subchronic stress can provoke enduring changes on the heart rate of experimental rats and, if so, to reveal t...

BACKGROUND Association of low cardiac vagal activity and poor outcome is demonstrated in the cardiology setting. This has not been addressed in the postoperative setting. Cardiac vagal motoneurones (CVMs) in the brain stem generate sinus arrhythmia. They may reduce blood pressure (BP) variability ('pressure lability'). An alpha-2 agonist, clonidine, was administered to assess whether cardiac va...