[Hypervolemic redistribution mechanism in pulmonary edema in patients with isolated left ventricular failure]

The authors examined 90 patients with ischemic heart disease and isolated left-ventricular insufficiency by impedance plethysmography and determined the body total water content by means of tritium oxide in 32 of them. It was established that there is no essential increase in total body water and volumes of circulating blood and plasma at the peak of manifestations of isolated left-ventricular insufficiency. The redistribution of some of the blood from the periphery of systemic circulation to the center, mainly into the pulmonary circulation, possibly plays the principle role in the genesis of pulmonary circulation hypervolemia and pulmonary edema in approximately half of the cases. The same mechanism with its reverse direction occurs in successful treatment and correction of hypervolemia of pulmonary circulation and pulmonary edema.