[Comparative evaluation between the impedance method and the Fick method for determining cardiac minute volume]

The authors determined the minute heart volume, according to Fick method with right cardiac catheterization of 20 healthy youths. With the comparison of the results obtained, the differences were within the limits of +/- 10, and in almost half of the examined-- +/- 5%. The relatively small discrepancies in the values obtained, suggest that the impedence-method proves to be a reliable method for bloodless determination of minute heart volume.