Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation augments cerebral blood flow in a canine model of subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced cerebral vasospasm.

We tested the effect of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in a canine model of cerebral vasospasm. Cerebral vasospasm was induced in ten adult mongrel dogs using a "two-hemorrhage" model. CBF was then measured using radiolabeled microspheres, before and after activation of an intra-aortic balloon pump. Physiologic parameters including pCO2 and cardiac filling pressures were maintained constant during the experiment. Cardiac output was monitored in each animal. CBF increased with IABC in all ten animals. The mean CBF was 78.5 milliliters per 100 grams per minute (ml/100g/min) before versus 93.3ml/100g/min after IABC (P = 0.0001). Increases in CBF were associated in most, but not all, cases with increases in cardiac output. This study supports the ability of IABC to raise CBF in the setting of cerebral vasospasm. IABC may represent an important clinical option in cases of refractory vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.