SummaryA pair of printing scalers was used to record the information obtained by external monitoring of the isotope dilution curve following the intravenous injection of radioiodinated human serum albumin. The first scaler gives the differential count rate of the curve at increments of one second, whereas the second integrates continuously the isotope dilution curve. This recording device enabled cardiac output determinations to be calculated rapidly at the bedside without any loss in accuracy.Using this method in 15 normal individuals, the cardiac output was found to be 6.13 ± 0.73 liters/minute (Mean ± 1 S.D.), with a cardiac index of 3.36 ± 0.35 liters/minute/m2. In the same group of normals, the stroke index (stroke volume/surface area) amounted to 50 ± 7.3 ml/beat/m2.Comparison of the results of this method with those obtained by integration of the entire isotope dilution curve by an IBM 1620 computer showed excellent agreement, proving the validity of the suggested technique.
Construction of a critical nitrogen dilution curve for maize in Southwest China
