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Cardio-Respiratory tolerability of perfluoropropaneEnhanced MRI of pulmonary ventilation


Journal of Lung, Pulmonary & Respiratory Research
Joseph Mammarappallil, MD, PhD,1 Richard E. Moon MD,2 Neil R. MacIntyre MD,3 W. Michael Foster PhD,3 Samantha J. Womack MS,1,4 Maureen D. Ainslie MS RT(R)MR,1,4 H. Page McAdams, MD,1 Ahmed F. Halaweish PhD,5 Kingshuk Choudury PhD,1 H. Cecil Charles PhD1,4 

Abstract

Rationale: Recent advances in perfluoropropane magnetic resonance imaging of the lung have provided the means to assess pulmonary ventilation and gas distribution throughout the pulmonary airways and acini in a non-invasive manner. Objectives: The increased density of the inhaled PFP/O2 gas mixture generates longer wash-in times compared to wash-out while breathing room air and leads to slight increases in airway resistance (Raw) and respiratory effort by the subject during imaging. As a consequence of these gas-related effects, we sought to evaluate the cardio-respiratory tolerability of the PFP/O2 gas mixtures in our sequential breath-hold imaging protocol in normal subjects and subjects with obstructive lung disease. Methods: Tolerability was determined by evaluation of changes in vital signs (Heart Rate, Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure, Respiratory Rate and Temperature (otic)) at 3 time points (screening, pre-imaging and post-imaging) Measurements and Main Results: Assessment of vital signs before and after the administration of perfluoropropane gas mixture by matched pair analysis demonstrated statistically different values for Heart rate (Mean Difference =-2.417 bpm), Systolic BP (Mean Difference=6.95 mmHg), Diastolic BP (Mean Difference=3.86 mmHg) and SpO2 (Mean Difference=0.56%) even though these do not represent physiologically significant differences compared to activities of daily living such as climbing a flight of stairs. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate no negative outcomes in using PFP gas to image pulmonary ventilation. The PFP gas mixture is safe, well tolerated, and provides a three dimensional ‘picture’ (representation) of inhaled gas distribution for subject cohorts of normal and obstructive lung disease.

Keywords

19F Imaging, ventilation, safety, physiology

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