Ventricular arrhythmias induced in monkeys by the inhalation of aerosol propellants

George J. Taylor; Willard S. Harris; Morton D. Bogdonoff

doi:10.1172/JCI106640

¹Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Illinois Hospital and College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60612

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¹Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Illinois Hospital and College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60612

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¹Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, University of Illinois Hospital and College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60612

Find articles by Bogdonoff, M. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar

Published in Volume 50, Issue 7 on July 1, 1971
J Clin Invest. 1971;50(7):1546–1550. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI106640.
© 1971 The American Society for Clinical Investigation

Published July 1, 1971 - Version history

After inhaling fluoroalkane gases, which are used as aerosol propellants, some people have died suddently and unexpectedly. Seeking an explanation, we had 14 monkeys inhale these gases. All developed ventricular premature beats, bigeminy, or tachycardia, which began at an average of 39 (SE ±4.2) sec. Fluoroalkanes were present in blood, but arterial hypoxemia or hypercapnia was absent, and arterial pressure was reduced only slightly. In contrast, without fluoroalkanes, 3 min of asphyxia or anoxia caused arrhythmias in only one monkey whose arterial oxygen tension had fallen to 16 mm Hg. The ventricular arrhythmias caused in well oxygenated monkeys by fluoroalkane gases may either be mediated through beta adrenergic receptors, since propranolol abolished these arrhythmias, or result from a nonadrenergic, direct, toxic effect of these gases on the heart. These results suggest that some deaths after propellant inhalation may be caused by ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.

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