Assessment of rapid changes of ventricular function like in acute pharmakologic intervention

Data concerning the usefulness of the ultrashort-lived radionuclide Au-195m (gamma-energy 262 Kev, half-life 30.5 sec.) from an Hg-195m - Au-195m generator for assessment of rapid changes of ventricular function like in acute pharmakologic intervention are presented. Using this generator a sufficiently high yield for reasonable count rates can be obtained, even when a single-crystal gamma-camera with appropriate collimation is used for data collection. The low radition dose to the patient caused by the ultrashort-lived radionuclide makes it possible that several sequential assessments of ventricular function can be made. For intervention studies the substances Nitroglycerin, Nifedipine and Hydralazine were used. Typical courses of the left and right ventricular ejection fraction, the heart rate, the blood pressure and the pressure-rate product during pharmacologic stimulation are presented. (Author)