A Simplified Technic for the Detection of Patent Ductus Arteriosus and of Other Left-to-Right Shunts Originating from the Aorta

Abstract

A simplified technic for the detection of left-to-right shunts originating from the aorta is described. A thin, radiopaque catheter is introduced into the aortic arch through a Cournand needle placed in the femoral artery, and injections of a solution of Kr 85 are made. In the presence of a shunt the injected Kr 85 is rapidly detected in the expired air but in the absence of a shunt the appearance time of Kr 85 in the expired air is delayed. When an aortic shunt is present it may be localized by means of injections of cardiogreen dye at various points in the aorta by sampling the blood from the right brachial artery. The value of these technics is illustrated by descriptions of their application in five patients with various forms of congenital or acquired heart disease.