title: Changes in cardiac output and intrathoracic blood volume: a mathematical coupling of data?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Measurements of intrathoracic blood volume (ITBV) provide volumetric information about cardiac preload and are used to investigate the cause of alterations in cardiac output (CO). On the other hand, CO is required to calculate ITBV. Thus, concerns have been raised with respect to a mathematical coupling of data. The aim of this prospective, clinical study was to investigate whether a variation in CO induced by high-dose beta-blockade influences thermodilution measurements of ITBV in the absence of changes in intravascular volume in patients undergoing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen patients undergoing elective minimally invasive direct coronay artery bypass (MIDCAB) surgery were studied. Transpulmonary thermodilution measurements of ITBV and CO were simultaneously performed before bypass grafting, during beta-blockade induced by high-dose esmolol and at the end of surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During esmolol administration, CO significantly decreased by 33%, whereas ITBV remained unchanged compared to control values (876+/-46 ml m-2 during control versus 860+/-61 ml m-2 during esmolol administration). After the end of esmolol administration, CO significantly increased by 79%. Again, ITBV remained virtually unchanged (860+/-61 ml m-2 during esmolol administration versus 911+/-38 ml m-2 after esmolol administration).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study demonstrate that substantial alterations in CO as a consequence of high-dose esmolol infusion are not associated with changes in ITBV. Because haemodynamic changes were induced by factors other than variation of preload, these findings suggest that changes in cardiac output do not influence thermodilution measurements of ITBV in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anaesthesiologie, Medizinische Einrichtungen der RWTH Aachen, Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany. Wolfgang.Buhre@post.rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buhre
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazmaier
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sonntag
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weyland
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013815:Thermodilution; D013909:Thorax
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists