An Evaluation of the Thermodilution Method for Measuring Ventricular Volumes.

Accurate size information on a living heart is essential for an in-depth study of its cardiac function. A review of the literature since the turn of the century reveals the great amount of effort that has been expended in the search for better ways to measure heart size. Starling’s law relates energy of contraction to the initial length of the cardiac muscle fiber. To apply this law directly requires some measure of fiber length. The volume of the ventricular cavity is a function of this fiber length and thus can provide such a measure. For this reason many investigators have directed their research toward developing or improving methods for making ventricular volume measurements. The methods find use in the study of normal and diseased hearts by providing information for interrelating such quantities as stroke volume, end diastolic volume, ventricular pressure, work, ventricular compliance, etc. The ultimate importance of a practical ventricular volume method lies in its value as a diagnostic tool as the research information is applied to clinical situations.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year

1971

Author dc:creator

• Lloyd, Roger Albert

• Hearts
• Clinical situations
• Ventricular pressure
• Cardiac muscle fiber
• Stroke volume

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/7129

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.library.uab.edu:etd-collection-8121