Use of artificial circulation in resuscitation of drowned dogs.

The effectiveness of artificial circulation by the method of Bryukhonenko and his colleagues in the resuscitation of dogs that had died from drowning in fresh- or salt-water was studied. Eight out of ten dogs were revived after freshwater drowning 'death' lasting from 10.5 to 21 min, when a variant of the artificial circulation method, dog donor with a venous pump of the artificial heart, was used. Resuscitated dogs remained alive from 3 to 72 h and died from pulmonary oedema. Artificial circulation appeared to be more effective in resuscitation of dogs drowned in saltwater. Their clinical 'death' lasted up to 31.5 min; clinically signs of pulmonary oedema were not observed in any of them, though some signs of oedema were revealed by histological studies. Of the 42 dogs in this series, all the main functions of the central nervous system were restored in 18 with clinical 'death' for up to 25 min. Resuscitation was performed by one of two methods, either the dog donor plus venous pump of the artificial heart, or the method of Bryukhonenko. The effectiveness of artificial circulation for resuscitation of dogs from drowning was demonstrated.