[Use of the intra-aortic balloon pump in treating severe cardiac contusions (an experimental study)]

In experiments on 20 dogs the authors studied haemodynamics and the myocardial contractility after severe contusion of the heart treated by counterpulsation with intraaortic balloon pump. The heart contusion leads rapidly to a marked decrease in the contractile function of the myocardium and to the development of the hypodynamic syndrome. If untreated, the trauma leads to ventricular fibrillation and death of animals 1-1 1/2 h after contusion. Counterpulsation started 30-45 min after trauma and lasting 1 1/2-2 1/2 h prevented ventricular fibrillation and improved the myocardial function.