Determinations of Cardiac Outputs and Pulmonary Blood Volumes by a Modified Tracer Dilution Procedure

Abstract
A modification of the tracer dilution procedure is described which provided more precise and reproducible determinations of cardiac output and pulmonary blood volume than previously reported. Cardiac output values obtained by this method, while averaging significantly less than direct Fick values, were only 8% lower. Pulmonary blood volumes averaged 166 ml and duplicated values were within 6% of each other.