The assessment of mucociliary clearance using monodisperse 99mTc-tagged red blood cells.

To assess mucociliary clearance rates of the lungs using a monodisperse particle of constant volume, we investigated the possibility of using a patient's own red blood cells. The cells are tagged with 99mTechnetium. The procedure was performed on two groups of volunteers. The test was found to be very reliable (98%). A second group was studied with the administration of a placebo or 400 mg Aminophylline during the acquisition of the data. The expected response could be seen in 81% of the cases studied.