Thermal dilution cardiac output units

We evaluated five units (four modules and one stand-alone) from five manufacturers. All units were rated Acceptable. Most of the test results met our accuracy and precision criteria; other units that demonstrated a small margin of error were still clinically useful. The utility of the thermal dilution (TD) method depends largely on proper technique, as well as the volume and temperature of the injection, number of injections, and the type of probe used.