Abstract
Clinical death has been examined in rats. The time between severing the brain and spinal cord, and the disappearance of the ventricular complex on the electrocardiogram, has been measured. It is much longer in 1 week-old rats than in rats aged 4-56 weeks; it is also prolonged in bilateral pneumothorax and by artificial respiration (particularly if it is started before the animal stops breathing). It is also lengthened by intraperitoneal pentobarbitone, and by keeping the rats in an ambient temperature of 36°. The relevance of these findings to resuscitation of patients is discussed.