STUDY OF CHANGES IN BLOOD ABSOLUTE VALUES BEFORE AND AFTER USE OF DIURETIC AGENTS

although a number of physiologic and pathophysiologicfactors influence deformability characteristic of red cellsin vivo and in vitro, in only a few instances is there a clueto the mechanism involved. Furthermore, the structural elementswhich limit red cell deformability under physiologic condit-ions are still unknown. Previous studies have demonst-rated that both the red cell mass and plasma volume are_increased in patients with congestive heart failure, regardlessof the etiology of the heart disease. Effective therapy resultsin statistically significant decrease in both volumes. Intraven-ous digitalis and/or mercurial diuretic therapy (in compansatedand decompansated cardiac disease) failed to alter either redcell mass or plasma volume by six hours aFter drug adminstration.