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Near continuous cardiac output by thermodilution
J R Jansen1, R W Johnson, J Y Yan
1Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Journal of Clinical Monitoring
|July 1, 1997
Summary
A novel thermodilution method offers frequent cardiac output monitoring without manual fluid injection. This new technique accurately detects changes in cardiac output, demonstrating its feasibility for continuous patient assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Accurate and frequent cardiac output monitoring is crucial for managing critically ill patients.
- Conventional thermodilution methods require manual injections and are not suitable for continuous assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a new thermodilution method for near-continuous cardiac output estimation.
- To assess the feasibility and accuracy of this novel technique in a porcine model.
Main Methods:
- A pulmonary artery catheter with a heat exchanger was used for cyclic blood cooling in the right atrium.
- Temperature changes in the pulmonary artery were measured to estimate cardiac output every 32 seconds.
- Paired measurements of the new method (TDc) and conventional thermodilution (TD) were compared in six pigs.
Main Results:
- The new method provided cardiac output estimates with a mean coefficient of variation of 3.6%.
- The best linear fit showed strong agreement between TDc and TD (COTDc = -0.57 + 1.01 COTD).
- The method successfully detected all cardiac output changes greater than 0.25 l/min.
Conclusions:
- The developed thermodilution method enables frequent, automated cardiac output monitoring.
- This technique is feasible for real-time detection of significant hemodynamic changes.
- The new method shows potential for improved patient management in critical care settings.