Radionuclide angiocardiography in the normal dog: equilibrium studies.

Equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography was applied in 27 healthy anaesthetised dogs (9 to 60 kg) after labelling the blood pool with 99mTc, using a gamma camera with a computer on-line. Quantitative analysis of the calibrated ventriculogram provided the following left ventricular parameters: the end diastolic volume (EDV), the ejection fraction (EF), the possible degree of regurgitation and as velocity indices the peak ejection and peak refilling rates (PER and PRR). Averaged results were: EDV 1.8 ml kg-1; EF 0.59; PER 4.3 EDV s-1; PRR 3.75 EDV s-1. Visual inspection of the camera images may reveal abnormal wall motions and dilatation of heart chambers.