CARDIAC OUTPUT IN RELATION TO UNILATERAL PNEUMOTHORAX IN MAN

Abstract
Cardiac output measured by the Fick principle, with arterial blood for arterial CO2 values, and a rebreathing technique for venous CO2, diminished in 3 cases (definitely in 2, not definitely beyond the error of the method in 1) when unilateral pneumothorax was established. In a 4th case of artificial pneumothorax, and in 2 cases of spontaneous pneu-mothorax with positive intrapleural pressures, no consistent relation between cardiac output and state of pneumothorax was demonstrated.