Simple vs complex radionuclide methods of assessing capillary protein permeability for diagnosing acute respiratory distress syndrome

The diagnostic value of the simple blood TER of 67Ga-transferrin is similar to that of complex methods, using 99mTc-red cells and probe measurements over the lungs, because the complex methods largely depend on the blood TER. Simplification of the method without red cell labeling and probes may facilitate bedside use to diagnose permeability edema of ARDS, particularly in the absence of a pulmonary artery catheter.