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Comparing spot electrode arrangements for electric impedance cardiography
A E Hoetink1, Th J C Faes, E H Schuur
1Department of Clinical Physics & Informatics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Physiological Measurement
|June 8, 2002
Summary
Reducing electrodes for thoracic bio-impedance cardiography from nine to five shows no significant group differences in key measurements. However, individual subject data may vary considerably.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Physiological Measurement
Background:
- Thoracic bio-impedance cardiography (TBIC) is a non-invasive method to assess cardiac function.
- Current TBIC methods often utilize a standard nine-electrode setup.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of reducing the number of electrodes in TBIC from nine to five.
- To compare cardiac output measurements using different electrode configurations.
Main Methods:
- A randomized complete block design was employed with 15 healthy subjects.
- Six different electrode arrangements were analyzed.
- Variables measured included thoracic impedance, its first derivative, left ventricular ejection time, and stroke volume estimate.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found in the group means of measured variables between nine- and five-electrode arrangements.
- Bland and Altman analyses revealed potentially large individual subject differences when reducing electrodes.
Conclusions:
- A five-electrode arrangement is a viable alternative to a nine-electrode setup for group-level TBIC analysis.
- Clinicians should be aware of potential inter-individual variability when using a reduced electrode configuration.