The measurement of lung water content.

It is clear that lung water content or things related to lung water content can be measured. The major question is whether useful information will be obtained to make development worthwhile. In my experimental laboratory we have used, then abandoned, the measurement of lung water content in life by various techniques. We have special needs, of course, for very sensitive methods which will detect minimal injury and very small changes in lung water content. In the clinic, however, this may not be so serious a limitation, although one is always endeavoring to achieve diagnosis of minimal injury and minimal edema. Although static methods for measuring lung water content are available in profusion, none has been proven to be more useful than the chest roentgenogram. Kinetic methods are being developed which have the potential of being sensitive to minimal lung injury, such as leads to edema.