[Early diagnosis of cardiac insufficiency with the spiroergometric method]

Standard and submaximal physical load tests were contrasted in studying the functional state of the cardio-respiratory system in healthy individuals and in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, post-infarction cardiosclerosis, mitral lesions and cardiac-pulmonary insufficiency. The application of physical load tests of different types is shown to be instrumental in obtaining a mutually complementary information about the function of the cardiac-respiratory system and the degree of pulmonary and cardiac decompensation. The authors attach great importance to determining the ratio of an actual oxygen uptake to its proper values and suggest using this indicator, called by them performance capacity index, in quantitative appraisal of physical capacity to perform work. In recognizing early stages of circulatory insufficiency of considerable interest is determining the ratio of the venous blood concentration of lactate, pyruvate and some other biochemical factors to the amount of work done.