Percutaneous measurement of portal blood flow in the piglet by continuous thermodilution.

The continuous thermodilution method was applied to the percutaneous measurement of portal blood flow in the piglet by inserting a thermodilution probe into the portal vein via the transhepatic transvenous route. The method was compared to electromagnetic flowmetry in three piglets; the two methods yielded statistically identical results. The coefficient of variation of the continuous thermodilution measurements was 4%. The method allows portal blood flow measurements that are instantaneous, reliable, reproducible, and repetitive. It was applied to a study of rapid flow variations in piglets receiving an infusion of posterior pituitary extract.