Measurement of Renal Red Cell and Plasma Transit Times in Acute Renal Failure

Abstract

Summary

A method of measuring of red cell and plasma transit times through the kidney has been developed. The technic involves simultaneous rapid sampling of arterial and renal venous blood during the equilibration time across the kidney following a peripherally injected intravenous bolus of Cr⁵¹ labelled red cells and HI¹³¹SA. In control subjects the mean red cell transit time averaged 6.7 ± 0.79 seconds and mean HI¹³¹SA transit time 9.22 ± 0.83 seconds. In 5 patients in the oliguric stage of acute renal failure the mean red cell transit time was significantly reduced to 4.7 ± 0.74 seconds while the HI¹³¹SA transit time averaged 9.56 ± 1.1 seconds. The significance of these results in relation to the existence of a cortical shunt for red cells in acute renal failure is discussed.