[Basic concepts in hemodynamic monitoring in intensive care]

The interpretation of hemodynamic measurements in intensive care must be based on a knowledge of how blood flow, blood pressure and blood volume are regulated. The adrenergic nervous system plays a pivotal role in control of these circulatory functions. Blood pressure and blood flow are regulated via the variation of heart rate, cardiac contractility, peripheral vascular resistance, and redistribution and retention of volume. The assessment of quantitative measurements and of formal abnormalities of detected pressure curves, in conjunction with considerations on compensatory mechanisms, render possible a logical approach to therapy.