Rapid Blood-Pressure Fall in Hypertensive Dogs on Partial Bypass

Abstract

An experiment was designed to test the efficacy of venoarterial partial bypass in the treatment of pulmonary embolism. Unexpectedly, nine dogs were found to be hypertensive. Four of these were in the control group and survived six injections of glass beads into the right ventricle. In five dogs the partial bypass was established before the first injection of glass beads. All five died following a rapid fall in blood pressure, which could be caused by the activation of vasodilating substances at the blood-solid interface in the membrane oxygenator.