A multicenter evaluation of a new continuous cardiac output pulmonary artery catheter system.
OBJECTIVE
To validate a new system of continuous cardiac output monitoring.


METHODS
Multicenter, prospective, nonrandomized clinical study.


METHODS
Four university hospitals.


METHODS
Forty-seven adult intensive care unit patients.


METHODS
Pulmonary artery catheterization.


RESULTS
Continuous and bolus cardiac output measurements were obtained over 72 hrs. The 327 continuous cardiac output measurements compared favorably with bolus cardiac output measurements (bias = 0.12 L/min, precision = +/-0.84). The continuous cardiac measurement was not adversely affected by temperatures of <37 degrees C or >38 degrees C, high (>7.5 L/min) or low (<4.5 L/min) cardiac output values, or duration (72 hrs) of the study.


CONCLUSIONS
This continuous cardiac output system provides a reliable estimate of cardiac output for clinical use if applied in conditions similar to this study. The combination of a continuous measure of cardiac output with other continuous physiologic monitoring (arterial and mixed venous oxygen saturation, oxygen consumption, etc.) may provide important information that no single parameter could achieve.
Mihm
F G
FG
Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University, CA, USA.
Gettinger
A
A
Hanson
C W
CW
Gilbert
H C
HC
Stover
E P
EP
Vender
J S
JS
Beerle
B
B
Haddow
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001831:Body Temperature; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000592:standards*; D016638:Critical Illness; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D013815:Thermodilution