title: Physical properties and use of pertechnegas as a ventilation agent.
abstract: Pertechnegas, a variant of technegas, produces similar ventilation images with a much increased clearance rate. This work aims to determine the properties of pertechnegas and its use as a ventilatory agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen men and 11 women were scanned for PE, after pertechnegas ventilation. Six were reimaged with technegas within 1 wk. Studies were reported according to PIOPED criteria. Pertechnegas samples were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cascade impaction (CI), aerosol mobility analysis (AMA), Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), paper strip (PC) and gas chromatography (GC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-test probabilities were normal in 5, low in 8, high in 5 and indeterminate in 7. There were 15 Grade 1, 6 Grade 2 and 4 Grade 3 studies. All Grade 3 patients had FEV1 < 1.5 liters, 3 with rates < 1.0 liter. Patients with high probability had proven deep venous thrombosis in three by venography and in one by doppler. TEM identified 0.3 micron salt particles. CI demonstrated a 7-min time to half clearance from the chamber for particles in the < 0.1 micron range. AMA indicated all particles were < 0.032 micron when salt was excluded. Pertechnegas behaves in PC as pertechnetate, GC demonstrated CO levels below 516 ppm. CO2 concentrations were 0.146 +/- 0.0009%. FTMS found molecular pertechnetate species including 99TcO3(OH)+, Na99TcO3(OH)3+ and Na99TcO3(OH)3+. XPS confirmed that these Tc species exist in oxidation state +7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparison with technegas images in the follow-up group proved equivalent in the first five views, but indistinct lung boundaries and a high background activity characterized the final anterior images. The active component of pertechnegas is molecular pertechnetate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Concord Repatriation Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Mackey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dasaklis
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van der Wall
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Willett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C056708:Technegas; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m