S. Nakatani et al., EFFICACY AND ADVERSE-EFFECTS OF TRANSPULMONARY CONTRAST ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY USING SONICATED ALBUMIN, Internal medicine, 33(4), 1994, pp. 204-209
We studied the feasibility and adverse effects of transpulmonary contr
ast echocardiography using sonicated albumin in 6 dogs. Left heart con
trast was observed by two-dimensional echocardiography, monitoring lef
t ventricular pressure, its first derivative (dP/dt) and arterial oxyg
en saturation. The left heart was adequately opacified in 48 of 55 inj
ections of various intravenous doses of sonicated albumin. Left ventri
cular myocardial opacification was faintly observed in only 1 injectio
n. After injections of a large dose (0.5 ml/kg), left ventricular syst
olic pressure decreased, maximal positive dP/dt decreased and negative
dP/dt increased, slightly. Hemodynamic parameters showed no significa
nt changes with the other doses. Arterial oxygen saturation tended to
decrease after injection, which was most remarkable with a large dose
injection. In conclusion, although a large dose of intravenous sonicat
ed albumin may opacify not only the left heart cavity but the ventricu
lar myocardium, it deteriorates hemodynamic parameters and oxygen exch
ange in the lung.