Regional pulmonary function studied with xenon133
A radioactive isotope of the inert gas, xenon, was used in conjunction with externally placed scintillation counters to estimate separately the function of six different regions of the lung. By comparison of external counting rates after a single breath and after rebreathing an air-xenon mixture, it has been possible to compute an index of relative ventilation that is independent of the volume of lung within the counting field. Determinations were made at two levels of inspiration in order to compare the distribution during normal quiet breathing with the distribution after a single full inspiration. By the intravenous injection of dissolved xenonia during breath holding, the relative perfusion of lung in different regions has been determined. ln 21 seated normal subjects, it was found that the lower portion of the lung is somewhat better ventilated than the upper portion, but receives a much greater fraction of the total pulmonary blood flow; the distribution of inspired air is slightly more uniform on deep inspiration than during quiet breathing; the middle and lower portions of the lung are better ventilated on the left than on the right during deep inspiration; and the lower portion of the lung is probably better perfused on the right than on the left. Forty patients with various cardiac or pulmonary disorders were studied, and four illustrative cases are presented. Two of these illustrate the differences in regional distribution of disordered function that may occur in patients with pulmonary emphysema. The third patient demonstrates the value of the technique in assessing lobar function after transposition surgery, and the fourth patient illustrates normally distributed ventilatory function despite a disturbed distribution of perfusion in uncomplicated mitral stenosis. The advantages and disadvantages of this method in comparison with the oxygen15 technique of West and co-workers are discussed. It appears that the xenon technique described is capable of extensive application to both investigative and clinical problems.
- Research Organization:
- McGill Univ., Montreal
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-012855
- OSTI ID:
- 4797314
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Clinical Investigation, Vol. 41, Issue 3; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62; ISSN 0021-9738
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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