Cyclic elevation of intrathoracic pressure can close the mitral valve during cardiac arrest in dogs.

Mitral valve closure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation may result from direct cardiac compression. An alternative hypothesis is that with a rise in intrathoracic pressure, mitral valve closure can occur but may be influenced by whether the lungs are inflated or deflated. To test this hypothesis, we placed a large-bore cannula into the thoraces of 11 dogs. Intrathoracic pressure was changed by inflating and deflating the thorax through the cannula while the airway was open, as well as by inflating and deflating the lungs with the thoracic cannula clamped. Mitral valve motion was observed with two-dimensional echocardiography from the right chest wall or esophagus in eight of the dogs. With a rise in intrathoracic pressure from thoracic inflation, all eight dogs showed closure of the mitral valve, while with thoracic deflation, all showed mitral valve opening. With lung inflation and deflation alone, however, the mitral valve remained open throughout the cycle. In seven dogs, with thoracic inflation, the...