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Nonlinear Heart Model Predicts the Range of Heart Rates for Electrical Alternans in Pericardial Effusion

Report ID:
TR-365-92
Date:
January 1992
Pages:
14
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Abstract:

We analyze Rigney and Goldberger's [8] two mathematical models of the heart's
rocking during pericardial effusion. Both models examine the torques due to
the outflow of blood from the heart. The first assumes that the duration
of systole varies linearly with heart rate, whereas the second assumes that
it does not vary with heart rate. The analysis predicts the motion of the
heart for heart rates between 50 and 200 and for a range of initial positions
and velocities. The first model predicts that the heart rocks once every
other beat (exhibits electrical alternans) at heart rates between 88 and 119
and rocks once per beat otherwise, and explains the appearance and
disappearance of alternans mathematically. The results agree within 5%
with the published clinical data, which shows alternans at heart rates between
90 and 124. The second model predicts the same qualitative behavior, but with
alternans occurring solely at heart rates between 105 and 116. We describe
an analysis program for ordinary differential equations that analyzed the
models quickly and automatically.

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