title: Absolute lung density in experimental canine pulmonary edema.
abstract: The noninvasive quantification of pulmonary edema could be of importance in patient management. We have developed a portable Compton-scatter densitometer capable of measuring density in the range of 0.1-1 g/cm3 independently of the chest wall. Change in lung density was investigated in 19 dogs with pulmonary edema induced by a combination of raised left atrial pressure and hemodilution. The increase in lung density correlated with the postmortem assessment of lung water (r = 0.862, p less than 0.01) and with hemodynamic indicators of pulmonary edema (r = 0.749, p less than 0.01). Subtracting the intravascular component of lung density did not improve the correlation with postmortem lung water (r = 0.850, p less than 0.01). The measurement of absolute lung density by a Compton-scatter technique may be a potentially useful method of quantifying pulmonary edema.
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001834:Body Water / Q000032:analysis*; D004285:Dogs; D005682:Gadolinium; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D005682:Gadolinium