RENAL FAILURE IN LAENNEC'S CIRRHOSIS. II. SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATION OF CARDIAC OUTPUT AND RENAL HEMODYNAMICS*

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Abstract
Cardiac output (CO) and the clearances of inulin (CIN) or endogenous creatinine (CCR) and para-aminohip-purate (CPAH) were determined simultaneously in seven patients with decompensated Laennec''s cirrhosis and a CIN or CCR less than 60 ml/minute. Another 13 decompensated cirrhotics with a CIN or CCR greater than 70 ml per minute were studied in the same manner. CO was generally elevated in patients with a broad range of renal hemodynamics. The findings also indicated that the diminished glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow found in some patients with cirrhosis may occur in the presence of an increased CO. Therefore, the decreased renal perfusion observed in certain patients with cirrhosis cannot be attributed to a low cardiac output.