Diffusing capacity, membrane diffusing capacity, capillary blood volume, pulmonary tissue volume, and cardiac output measured by a rebreathing technique.

A rebreathing method for estimating diffusing capacity, membrane diffusing capacity, pulmonary capillary blood volume, pulmonary capillary blood flow, and pulmonary tissue volume consists of rebreathing into a bag for 15 sec while acetylene, (18O)-carbon monoxide, oxygen, and helium are continuously sampled by a mass spectrometer. Because the masses of carbon monoxide and nitrogen are nearly identical at 28, it was necessary to use a stable isotope, C18O, to distinguish this gas with the mass spectrometer. Comparison of the pulmonary capillary blood flow by the rebreathing technique with the simultaneously obtained indicator dilution measurement in anesthetized dogs revealed good agreement. Estimations of pulmonary tissue volume appeared to be quite reproducible and consistent; the values tended to be somewhat smaller and less variable among normal subjects than reported by other investigators. After subtraction of capillary blood volume, tissue volume was 311 plus or minus 73 ml at rest and increased significantly to 352 plus or minus 61 ml at 75 watts of exercise. Pulmonary tissue volume in dogs using the rebreathing method averaged 9.2 ml per kg of body weight, a mean comparable to previously reported estimates using the ether plethysmographic method. The slope of pulmonary capillary blood flow (cardiac output in normal subjects) as a function of oxygen consumption during exercise in normal subjects of 0.0060 times oxygen consumption in milliliter per min was identical to published values. The rebreathing technique provides a rapid, reliable, noninvasive method for estimating pulmonary hemodynamic parameters.