The induction of MH after cardiac resuscitation improves systolic myocardial function without further sympathetic activation. A reduced metabolism during MH outweighs a decreased CO and thereby acts favourably on systemic oxygen supply/demand balance.

We conclude that the loss of LV end-diastolic capacitance during MH can be explained at least in part by slowed LV relaxation. MH thereby is an example of incomplete LV relaxation at a spontaneous low heart rate. Caution may be advised, when heart rate is increased in patients treated with MH.

BackgroundMild hypothermia (MH) decreases infarct size and mortality in experimental reperfused myocardial infarction, but may potentiate ischaemia-induced left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction.MethodsIn anaesthetized pigs (70 ± 2 kg), polystyrol microspheres (45 μm) were infused repeatedly into the left circumflex artery until cardiac power output decreased >40%. Then, pigs were assigned to normothermia (NT, 38.0 °C, n = 8) or MH (33.0 °C, n = 8, intravascular cooling) and followed for 6 h (CME 6 h). *p < 0.05 vs baseline, †p < 0.05 vs NT.ResultsIn NT, cardiac output (CO) decreased from 6.2 ± 0.3 to 3.4 ± 0.2* l/min, and heart rate increased from 89 ± 4 to 101 ± 6* bpm. LV end-diastolic volume fell from 139 ± 8 to 64 ± 4 ml*, while LV ejection fraction remained constant (49 ± 1 vs 53 ± 4%). The corresponding end-diastolic pressure–volume relationship was progressively shifted leftwards, reflecting severe LV diastolic dysfunction. In MH, CO fell to a similar degree. Spontaneous bradycardia compensated for slowed LV relaxation, and the leftward shift of the end-diastolic pressure–volume relationship was less pronounced during MH. MH increased systemic vascular resistance, such that mean aortic pressure remained higher in MH vs NT (69 ± 2† vs 54 ± 4 mmHg). Mixed venous oxygen saturation at CME 6 h was higher in MH than in NT (59 ± 4† vs 42 ± 2%) due to lowered systemic oxygen demand during cooling.ConclusionWe conclude that (i) an acute loss of end-diastolic LV compliance is a major component of acute cardiac pump failure during experimental myocardial infarction, and that (ii) MH does not potentiate this diastolic LV failure, but stabilizes haemodynamics and improves systemic oxygen supply/demand imbalance by reducing demand.

The induction of mild hypothermia attenuates cardiac and respiratory dysfunction and counteracts sympathetic activation during experimental endotoxemia. This was not associated with lower plasma cytokine levels, indicating a reduction of cytokine responsiveness by mild hypothermia.

The quantity of stress during transport to the operating room and the perioperative psychoendocrinologic course of stress in combination with two different methods of preoperative medical information are described in 60 consecutive patients awaiting cardiac surgery.