The cardiopulmonary effects of constant-flow ventilation were investigated in dogs with normal heart function (control-phase, n = 14) and after development of acute myocardial ischaemia (ischaemia phase, n = 14). Heated, humidified and oxygen-enriched air was continuously delivered with an inspiratory flow rate of 1.21.kg-1.min-1 via two catheters positioned within each mainstem bronchus. Continuous positive pressure ventilation with a positive end-expiratory pressure of 0.5 kPa (5 cmH2O) was used as a reference. During control, neither continuous positive pressure ventilation nor constant-flow ventilation showed impairment of cardiopulmonary performance. Oxygenation and CO2 removal were more efficiently achieved by continuous positive pressure ventilation (P less than or equal to 0.05). Acute myocardial ischaemia was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery; measurements during the ischaemia phase were performed 60 min following LAD occlusion. Myocardial ischaemia resulted in moderate changes of cardiac output, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and dP/dtmax. Both modes of ventilation were well tolerated in the ischaemia phase, and cardiovascular performance revealed no significant differences between continuous positive pressure ventilation and constant-flow ventilation. Haemodynamic parameters could be more precisely assessed during constant-flow ventilation. Oxygenation deteriorated, but hypoxaemia did not occur in any animal and CO2 elimination remained unchanged. It is concluded that 'non-conventional' ventilation by continuous intrabronchial gas flow maintains adequate gas exchange with no adverse effects on haemodynamics in dogs with acute myocardial ischaemia. Constant-flow ventilation may be advantageous in the experimental setting to study cardiac function without cyclic heart-lung interaction due to airway pressure alterations.