INTRAAORTIC BALLOON COUNTERPULSATION AUGMENTS CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW IN A CANINE MODEL OF SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE-INDUCED CEREBRAL VASOSPASM

WE TESTED THE effect of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) o n cerebral blood flow (CBF) in a canine model of cerebral vasospasm, C erebral vasospasm was induced in ten adult mongrel dogs using a ''two- hemorrhage'' model, CBF was then measured using radiolabeled microsphe res, before and after activation of an intra-aortic balloon pump. Phys iologic parameters including pCO2 and cardiac filling pressures were m aintained constant during the experiment. Cardiac output was monitored in each animal, CBF increased with IABC in all ten animals. The mean CBF was 78.5 milliliters per 100 grams per minute (ml/100g/min) before versus 93.3ml/100g/min after IABC (P=0.0001). Increases in CBF were a ssociated in most, but not all, cases with increases in cardiac output . This study supports the ability of IABC to raise CBF in the setting of cerebral vasospasm. IABC may represent an important clinical option in cases subarachnoid hemorrhage.