Rapid changes in rate-corrected and uncorrected systolic time intervals during cold pressor test.

The changes in heart rate and systolic time intervals were studied in a group of 10 young healthy male volunteers during immersion of their hand in ice water for 1 min. The heart rate and systolic time intervals were measured from electro-, phono-, and impedance cardiograms in the standard way. When the cold immersion was done in the supine position the left ventricular ejection time (LVET) and the electromechanic systole (Q-S2Tc) shortened, and when corrected for the heart rate the Q-S2Tc lengthened in the beginning of the immersion. In the head-up position the Q-S2T shortened in the beginning of the immersion while the rate-corrected systolic time intervals remained unchanged. Most of the changes in the systolic time intervals disappeared before the last quarter of the cold immersion. It was observed that during the cold immersion the linear regression coefficients between the heart rate and the Q-S2T in the supine position as well as between the heart rate and the LVET, Q-S2T and the PEP in the head-up position were greater than the regression coefficients used in the rate correction.