A quantitative method for determining angiographic jet energy forces and their dissipation: theoretic and practical implications.

Jets emanating from the exit holes of cardiac catheters during angiographic injections are theoretically capable of producing severe localized cardiovascular trauma. We adopted a fluid mechanical model of an axially symmetric jet to define these energy forces quantitatively, especially as they would occur in the clinical setting. During angiographic injection at all catheter flow rates used clinically, the jet emanating from the exit hole was always turbulent. The physical characteristics of the turbulent jet penetration into the intravascular blood fell upon a universal curve independent of the jet Reynolds number. This curve, never previously described, allows ready calculation of hydraulic energy dissipation for any catheter of known length and lumen size. The diameter of the catheter exit orifice has a greater effect than injection flow rate on decreasing jet penetration. These results provide useful guidelines for reducing trauma during routine angiography.