Change in Relationship of Blood Volume to Weight in Congestive Heart Failure

Abstract

Blood volume has been estimated in a small group of nonedematous hospitalized patients and in cardiac patients in severe congestive failure by both Cr 51 -labeled red cells and iodinated (I 131 ) human serum albumin. In the analysis of the data attention is directed to a fallacy inherent in the usual ratio method of relating blood volume to weight. An alternative method of analysis is proposed that not only yields greater accuracy, but makes the analysis more sensitive. The authors present their interpretation of the effects of tissue wasting and accumulation of edema fluid on the changes in the relationship between blood volume and weight in congestive heart failure. Analyzing other data from the literature by this method the authors have demonstrated a relationship between the amount of edema fluid and the increase in blood volume in congestive failure.