Segmental contractile activity of the left ventricle in life threatening arrhythmia

: Intramural pressure (IMP) in the middle segment of the left ventricle and in the apex under ventricular extrasystoles was measured in experiments on the hearts of narcotized dogs. Early extrasystoles caused greater lowering of IMP and blood ejection. Bigeminia was associated with segmental and transmural nonuniformities of IMP which may be due to additional dragging effects in the myocardium. Magnitude of cardiac ejection under extrasystoles depends on nonuniform contractions of the segments of the left ventricle.