NEW DUAL-PROBE SYSTEM FOR RAPID BEDSIDE ASSESSMENT OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR FUNCTION

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 17  (10) , 930-936
Abstract
Left ventricular [LV] ejection fraction (EF) from the beat-to-beat count rate variations that occurred [in humans] during the transit of a single radionuclide bolus through the LV was studied. Cardiac output, pulmonary blood volume and LV end-diastolic volume were also calculated. The dual-probe system incorporates a central collimated probe for monitoring activity in the LV surrounded by an annular detector collimated to provide simultaneous real-time monitoring of the LV background activity. The LVEF obtained from this system correlated well with LVEF derived from conventional single-plane contrast angiography (r = 0.90) in a series of 33 patients with coronary artery disease. Positioning the dual probe over the midpoint of the LV is accomplished with standard M-mode ultrasound. Since the method is noninvasive and sensitive to volume changes in the LV, the dual probe is particularly useful for monitoring seriously ill patients and those with segmental wall-motion abnormalities.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: