[Pulmonary capillary pressure and the exercise test].

In the present work with radiocardiography the change of pulmonary capillary pressure as well as cross correlations of stroke index, cardiac index, pulmonary blood volume, pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary dispersion volume which reflects pulmonary capillary volume have been studied during muscular exercise. With increase in cardiac output the mathematical estimation showed decrease in pulmonary capillary pressure while stroke index, pulmonary blood volume and pulmonary dispersion volume increased. The pulmonary arterial pressure also rose but this increase was insignificant. The estimated decrease in pulmonary capillary pressure might be due to decreased resistance, a consequence of recruitment of new capillaries and of increase of cross sectional area of pulmonary vasculature. The radiocardiographic method used here appears to be suitable in exercise studies, and it may further be applicable in clinical studies, e.g. in evaluation of left ventricular failure.