Cardiac function and hemodynamic parameters after pentaerythritol tetranitrate: assessment by a noninvasive radionuclide technique.

The availability of a relatively small computer with programming providing multiple-gated acquisition capability (MUGA) permits the measurement of ejection fraction and evaluation of ventricular wall motion without the need for invasive techniques. It is probable that the various nitrates available--nitroglycerin, PETN, and isosorbide dinitrate--have somewhat different hemodynamic effects, and that the radionuclide technique can assist in determining these differences and may help to predict which agents might be most appropriate in specific situations.