Which exam serves as a good indicator of right ventricular function?

The first pass study, also known as first pass radionuclide angiography, is particularly useful for assessing right ventricular function. During this exam, a radioactive tracer is injected and its passage through the heart is imaged in real-time. This allows for the evaluation of how well the right ventricle fills and pumps blood, providing crucial insight into its function.

In a first pass study, the rapid acquisition of data as the tracer moves through the cardiovascular system enhances the understanding of both chamber size and efficiency during the initial beats post-injection. This dynamic assessment makes it an excellent choice for evaluating the right ventricle, especially as it measures the function during its unique pumping actions.

Other options like MUGA (Multigated Acquisition) scans focus primarily on overall cardiac function rather than isolating right ventricular performance specifically, while stress tests primarily assess how the heart responds under physical stress, not directly measuring right ventricular function. Similarly, CT angiography is more useful for visualizing coronary vessels and does not provide direct measurements of heart chamber functions.