Retinal Hemorrhages in Newborn Piglets Following Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

To determine whether conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation causes retinal hemorrhages in piglets. —Nonrandomized observations. —Animal physiology laboratory. —Six 3.5- to 4.5-kg piglets. —Fifty minutes of conventional, closed chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation. —Intrathoracic venous pressure (right atrium) and intracranial venous pressure (sagittal sinus) were directly measured. At 5 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the mean (±SEM) sagittal sinus pressure was 41 ±8 mm Hg and the mean right atrial pressure was 58±9 mm Hg. The pressures were sustained throughout the 50 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At autopsy, there was no gross or microscopic evidence of retinal hemorrhages. —These results support the conclusion that cardiopulmonary resuscitation does not cause retinal hemorrhages.