[Hemodynamics in ischemia. Systolic phase]

Experimental animal investigations have shown that already after a few seconds of occlusion of a coronary artery a reduction in the systolic myocardial shortening and wall thickening takes place in the corresponding supply area. Following 1-2 minutes of ischemia systolic expansion occurs. Wall-thickness increase and myocardial shortening then take place during the isovolumetric relaxation phase. When at least 25% of the myocardium of the left ventricle becomes acutely ischemic the end-diastolic pressure and end-diastolic volume increase. As a rule an augmentation of myocardial contraction appears in the non-ischemic section of myocardium, which in part takes place through the Frank-Starling mechanism. With a gradual reduction of the coronary inflow, and a decline in the wall thickening of c. 50% of the control value, a significant reduction in blood flow took place only in the innermost quarter of the ventricular wall. With akinesia of the ischemic area, no reduction of the blood flow could be determined in the subepicardial region. Only with the occurrence of dyskinetic wall motion was a transmural reduction of blood flow effected. The ischemic contraction disturbances are fully reversible if coronary occlusion last only a few minutes. With a 15 minute occlusion the recovery time of the myocardial function can require several days (postischemic "stunned myocardium"). The first myocardial necroses occur after 20 minutes of ischemia, and after 3-6 hours of ischemia the infarction is complete.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)