Determination of regional pulmonary blood flow with systemically injected, nonentrapped radioactive microspheres. Kleen, M., B. Zwissler, R. Schosser, and K. Messmer. Institute for Surgical Research and Institute of Anesthesiology, University of Munich, Marchioninistr 15, 81366 Munich, Germany and Immuno GmbH, Im Breitspiel 13, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany
APStracts 3:0163A, 1996.
Radioactive microspheres (MS) injected into the systemic circulation shunt to the venous side of the circulation and are trapped in the lung vasculature. We hypothesized that regional pulmonary perfusion could be determined using systemically injected, shunted MS. In seven anesthetized, mechanically ventilated foxhounds regional pulmonary perfusion was measured at baseline and during experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome (eARDS) with MS injected into both the right and left atrium (Protocol 1). Methodological error of the MS technique was assessed by simultaneous injection of two different batches of MS into the right atrium (Protocol 2). Measurement of perfusion during baseline and during eARDS with shunted MS had a mean bias of 0.8% and 5.6%, respectively, and mean precision of 19.2% and 34.7%, respectively (r=0.94 or r=0.95), when compared to data from non-shunted MS. Simultaneous perfusion measurements displayed bias of -2.7% and 6% and precision of 8.2% and 5.3% (r=0.98, r=0.99). Systemic shunt should be high for this method in order to prevent bronchial circulation to impose significant error. We conclude that systemically injected MS can be used for simultaneous measurement of regional systemic and regional pulmonary perfusion, provided that MS that shunted in the first pass are measured in lung tissue.

Received 9 August 1995; accepted in final form 22 February 1996.
APS Manuscript Number A871-5.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 27 March 96