The Bronchoscopic Measurement of Left Auricular Pressure

Abstract

A specially adapted needle on the end of a Jackson's suction tube has been used to pierce the left auricle of the heart through the upper end of one of the main bronchi. Pressure measurements and wave forms have been recorded in patients suffering from lung disease with normal hearts, in those with mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation. This preliminary communication describes the method and shows some typical results.