Electronic Applications in Cardiovascular Surgery

The role of electronics for diagnostic and therapeutic use in heart surgery at lowered body temperature (hypothermia) is discussed. The current trend of lowered-temperature anesthesia offers distinct advantages to the cardiovascular surgeon in reducing anesthetic shock and extending tolerance to interrupted oxygenated blood circulation. However, lowered body temperatures impose critical demands on monitoring instruments and on equipment for countering ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest. A cardiac resuscitation unit has been designed and built for diagnostic and treatment use in the operating room. The equipment includes an electrocardiograph with both cathode-ray and pen-recorder displays, a heart-rate meter, pacemaker stimulator, defibrillator, thermistor thermometer, blood-pressure monitor and oxygen resuscitator. The application of other electronic techniques in cardiovascular surgery is outlined briefly.