© 1967 by European Society of Cardiology
Copyright © 1967, European Society of Cardiology
Relationship Between the Ballistocardiogram and the Movement of Blood from the Left Ventricle in the Dog*
From the Cardiac Department, Guy's Hospital, and Department of Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Fulham Hospital, London
Authors' Synopsis: This study was undertaken to investigate the possible relation between myocardial contractility and the pattern of the head-foot force ballistocardiogram. Dogs previously prepared with implanted aortic flowmeters were studied on a specially constructed ballistocardiograph. A direct relationship was found between the amplitude of the early systolic waves of the ballistocardiogram and myocardial contractility as measured by the peak acceleration of blood from the left ventricle.
* Supported by Grant No. HE-06851 of the U.S. Public Health Service and by grants from the Guy's Hospital Endowments Fund and Messrs. Boehringer Ingelheim, Ltd. A.G. was in receipt of a personal grant from the British Heart Foundation.