Protective Effect of Hypervolemia in Cardioangiography

Animal experiments were undertaken to find the cause of the deaths that have occasionally followed the rapid injection of sodium diatrizoate in cardioangiography. The rapid injection of 5 ml. per kilogram was fatal to each of 12 consecutive dogs. The postmortem findings were those of cor pulmonale. In 4 other groups of 10 dogs each, 4 materials were tested for possible protective effect: heparinized whole blood, sodium chloride solution, and dextrans of high and low molecular weights. In each of these 4 groups, a preliminary infusion sufficient to cause hypervolemia significantly reduced the death rate from subsequent rapid injections of sodium diatrizoate. No significant differences were found between any 2 of the 4 protective substances.