ROENTGENOLOGIC AND FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF COMBINED CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE ANDCONGESTIVE CARDIAC FAILURE

A group of patienu with combined chronic obstmctire pulmonary disease and lelt heart lailure was examined belore and alter ueatment lor failure by xrial expiratory/inspintory roentgenogram and concomitant pulmonary runction studies. The resulu 01 rhi study demonstrate that excess interstitial and alveolar fluid reduces the abnormally elevated lung volumes of chronic abstmctiw pulmonary disease; rdiuibution of blwd flow alters ventilation/perlusion relationships and mixing efficiency and, il asrociated with increased pulmonary blood volume, can increase the diKusing upacity and may even improve flow ' rates. Bemuse 01 this mutual concealment of diagnostics sign functional studies alone unnot make the diagnosis 01 combined cardiac and pulmonary disease. It is essential to combine functional analysis with radiology and to lollow the patient with serial studies. Pandoxically, but characterisdully for combined disease. as Ihe patient comes out oE hilure hii function studies become worse. © Lippincott-Raven Publishers.