A paper strip test for screening of pheochromocytoma.

Abstract

The types of cardiac dyspnea in this study included exertion dyspnea, orthopnea, cardiac asthma, and Cheyne-Stokes breathing. The condition of pulmonary edema accompanies orthopnea which often seems to have been used as a synonym of cardiac asthma. Although clinical reports on the signs and symptoms of cardiac asthma have hitherto been made by many and much has been discussed as to the cause of the disease, precise elucidation is yet to be made in their development. The purpose of the present study is to clarify pathophysiological aspects of cardiac asthma from clinical fingings. Consecutive observation was made of the hemodynamics of cardiac patients during day-time and at night with special reference to the attacks of cardiac asthma, and comparative studies were also undertaken with various cardiopulmonary diseases in acute stage with allied clinical symptoms. The tolerance tests with several drugs as well as exercise tests were tried in the cardiac patients in an attempt to induce attack of asthmatic dyspnea. Method and Materials Forty-four cardiac patients who had been admitted to the First Medical Clinic of Kobe University Hospital were examined. The first examitotion was routinely carried out in the supine position around 3;00 p.m. shortly after admission that is before a specific treatment was instituted. Following the examination the patients were left quiet in the supine position and allowed to sleep until about 8:00 p.m. The second examination was performed at 10:00 p. m. Hemodynamic examination was made in respiratory frequency, pulse rate, cardiac rate, blood pressure., venous pressure, pulmonary circulation time, cardiac output, stroke volume, and pulmonary blood volume. The Riva-Rocci sphygmomanometer was used for taking pressure, a modified MORIZ-TABORA method for venous pressure, UEDA'S method according to Stewart-Hamilton principle, using radio-iodinated serum albumin (RISA), for determining pulmonary circulation time and cardiac output. The pulmonary blood volume was calculated by the following fomula :