title: Noninvasive cardiac evaluation (NICE) of intracardiac shunts using inhaled radioactive carbon dioxide.
abstract: A totally new, noninvasive technique is presented for the detection and analysis of left-to-right cardiac shunts. Five millicuries of oxygen 15-labeled carbon dioxide is administered by a single-breath inhalation technique. The resultant lung washout curve accurately reflects the presence or absence of a shunt. The quantitative studies are promising, but the method must be compared with standard techniques in a statistically significant series. This work is in progress.
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D006343:Heart Septal Defects / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D011868:Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide