Cardiac function may be depressed in all forms of shock. Maintenance of blood pressure is dependent on three cardiac factors:preload,afterload, andcontractility. Preload is the volume seen by the heart during v
1.5. Characterization of preload dependence of ischemic wall motion. During each of the different stages of the experiment, the extent of systolic bulging was plotted against a wide range of end-diastolic lengths obtained during caval balloon inflation. Because ischemia affects regional preload and af...
VLoad), afterload increases (afterload alteration by aortal pressure (P) increase, PLoad) and preload reductions on an increased afterload (VLoad high). Preload reductions (inferior vena cava occlusion, IVCO) were achieved by shortly (< 10 s) inflating a balloon catheter...
Alterations in pressure and in wave contour were explained on the basis of arterial dilation, with reduction in wave reflection. Nitroglycerin reduces left ventricular afterload through arterial dilation as well as preload through venous dilation. This effect on afterload is not apparent from measurement...