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An evaluation of Technegas as a ventilation agent compared with krypton-81 m in the scintigraphic diagnosis of pulmonary embolism

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine volume 19, pages 770–774 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

A ventilation agent that provides good quality lung images, which is cheap, easy to use and non-toxic, with a low radiation dose, has long been sought. Technegas, an ultrafine aerosol of technetium-99m-labelled carbon, was developed with these qualities in mind. We have studied Technegas in a clinical setting to evaluate some of these qualities. Twenty-five patients referred with a diagnosis of suspected pulmonary embolism were investigated during the same study using both krypton-81m and Technegas as ventilation agents in conjunction with99mTc-macroaggregated albumin as a perfusion agent. Technegas provided images which were of satisfactory quality. Images were obtained relatively easily and without discomfort to the patient, and Technegas has the advantage of always being available. A semi-quantitative regional assessment was employed which showed a good correlation (r = 0.499, P <0.001) between Technegas and krypton-81 m ventilation. We report on an effect not previously found to be significant, that is lung regions were better ventilated with Technegas than with krypton-81 m. This altered the diagnostic probability rating of pulmonary embolism in a number of patients (n = 3, 12%) compared with krypton-81 m. This effect was also noted in a further 8 patients (32%) without a change in the diagnostic probability. We offer possible explanations for this phenomenon.

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  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guys Hospital, SE1 9RT, London, UK

    Gary Cook & Susan E. M. Clarke

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  1. Gary Cook
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  2. Susan E. M. Clarke
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Cook, G., Clarke, S.E.M. An evaluation of Technegas as a ventilation agent compared with krypton-81 m in the scintigraphic diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Eur J Nucl Med 19, 770–774 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00182818

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00182818

Key words

  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Ventilation perfusion scintigraphy
  • Technegas
  • Technetium-99m