Date Available

12-7-2011

Year of Publication

2004

Document Type

Thesis

College

Graduate School

Department/School/Program

Biomedical Engineering

Faculty

Charles F. Knapp

Abstract

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to determine changes in the size of the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) as a result of blood pooling induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Images of the IVC of supine human subjects (10 males, 10 females) were obtained under four conditions: 1) steady-state 0 mmHg LBNP, 2) steady-state –35 mmHg LBNP, 3) ramping from 0 to –35 mmHg LBNP, 4) ramping from –35 to 0 mmHg LBNP. Volumes for a given IVC segment were obtained under the first two conditions during both end inspiration and end expiration breath-holds. Inferior Vena Cava widths were measured under all four conditions at the levels of portal entry and portal exit. The IVC volume for men and women combined decreased 41% due to LBNP (p andlt; 1.02 x 10-9). The IVC was 64.4% wider at portal exit than at portal entry in men (p andlt; 0.0003). Lower Body Negative Pressure induced a decrease in men's vena cava width up to 46% at portal exit and up to 62% at portal entry. Supported by NASA EPSCoR WKU 522611 and NIH GCRC MO1 RR262.

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