BAROPLETHYSMOGRAPHY: A METHOD OF ESTIMATING BLOOD FLOW

¹ The Department of Physiology, King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne

1. A baroplethysmographic method proposed previously for measuring human mammary blood flow is summarized and its reliability examined.

2. Experiments on the human hand, in comparison with occlusion plethysmography, show fair agreement between the two methods, except for the fact than an approximately constant quantity, possibly representing movement of tissues other than blood, is included in the estimates given by baroplethysmography.

3. The possible sources of error, and ways of overcoming some of them, are discussed. The method is not recommended for use on organs whose blood flow can be measured by occlusion plethysmography, but it can give useful estimates of human mammary blood flow.

Note:

I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the help given by the students and others who have acted as subjects, the willing assistance of Mr. A. R. Buchan, and the financial support from King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne.