[Non-invasive determination of pressure and volume parameters of left ventricular function]

The volume parameters of cardiac function, obtained by gated-blood-pool scintigraphy, were supplemented by the ventricle dimensions and by the medium arterial pressure, measured non-invasively after Riva-Rocci. From this, the systolic effect as a load-dependent parameter of contractility and the global effect of the left ventricle were derived. If the latter is related to the volume effect, information about the relative efficiency of the heart action is obtained. By studying three collectives of patients with different performance abilities of the left ventricle it was shown that, by including the ventricle geometry and the medium arterial pressure, the myocardial contractility can be better assessed quantitatively as well as qualitatively and that useful data about the performance economy of the heart can be obtained.