Clinical estimation of the volumes of blood in the right heart, left heart, and lungs by use of I 131 albumin

Abstract

1. 1. An external isotope method for estimating intracardiac and pulmonary blood volumes has been studied in 41 subjects with and without cardiac disease. 2. 2. Intracardiac blood volume estimated from radioactivity of the cardiac area 10 minutes after intravenous injection of 100 μc of I 131 albumin averaged 345 ± 55 ml./M. 2 in 16 subjects without heart disease. 3. 3. In general, intracardiac blood volume was proportional to the size of the heart shadow; but there was slightly less blood in relation to the size of the heart in subjects with cardiac hypertrophy. In 2 persons with pericardial effusion the intracardiac blood volumes were approximately 500 ml. less than would have been expected from the size of the cardiac shadow, suggesting an area of diagnostic usefulness for this technique. 4. 4. By dividing the curve of precordial radioactivity during the first circulation of the isotope into the right and left heart components, the portion of the intracardiac blood in each side of the heart and the pulmonary blood volume were estimated. 5. 5. The right heart volume in subjects without heart disease was 170 ± 25 ml./M. 2, and the left heart volume was 185 ± 50 ml./M. 2. 6. 6. In normal subjects, pulmonary blood volume was 490 ± 130 ml./M. 2. Similar results were obtained in subjects with mitral stensos and with other forms of heart disease. 7. 7. The isotope methods used in the present studies contain important technical defects. Accurate and reliable techniques will require further development of instrumentation and procedure.