Abstract
The only report available on electrocardiographic changes following experimental coronary sinus obturation is that published by Otto. 1 All of the dogs studied, however, had had section of extra-cardiac nerves.
During the course of experimental attempts to increase the blood supply to the heart 2 , 3 we have studied the electrocardiographic findings in 66 dogs before, during, and at various intervals of time up to 4 weeks after partial or complete occlusion of the coronary sinus. This occlusion was produced by ligation or by the injection of escharotics into or around the mouth of the coronary sinus. Twenty-five dogs showed a completely obturated coronary sinus at autopsy, 11 of these having been produced by ligature alone. In 26 dogs the obturation was partial. In 15, the same procedures were employed but no obturation was produced. The electrocardiographic findings in these dogs therefore serve as controls.
Following obturation of the coronary sinus, the entire heart dilated, the veins became engorged and the left ventricle became cyanotic up to and slightly beyond the interventricular grooves. Occasionally, ecchymotic spots appeared over the left ventricle. The right ventricle maintained its normal color except for a strip adjacent to the interventricular grooves.
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