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Abstract #0883

Asphyxiation Versus Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest & the Effect on Cerebral Blood Flow Using ASL-MRI.

Lesley M. Foley1, Tomas Drabek2, Jason Stezoski2, T Kevin Hitchens1, 3, Robert S. Clark2, 4, Chien Ho.1, 3, Patrick M. Kochanek2, 5

1Pittsburgh NMR Center for Biomedical Research, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; 2Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; 3Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; 4Department of Pediatrics, Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; 5Departments of Critical Care Medicine, Pediatrics and Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States


Cardiopulmonary arrest is associated with high mortality and morbidity. In this study we examined if two different insults, namely ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest (VFCA) and asphyxia cardiac arrest (ACA), result in different spatial and temporal patterns of cerebral blood flow (CBF), with the aim of tailoring therapies specifically to the type of insults sustained. The insults produced early transient hyperemia which was significant in the ACA model, followed by significant hypoperfusion particularly in the VFCA insult. While the mechanisms are yet to be determined, our data suggest that hypoperfusion may be an important therapeutic target particularly for resuscitation following VFCA.