title: Assessment of cardiac preload by indicator dilution and transoesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of cardiac preload is of major importance in the management of critically ill patients. Echocardiographic determined left ventricular end-diastolic area and indicator dilution derived intrathoracic blood volume are used as surrogates for cardiac preload. However, no controlled comparison studies on the relationship between induced changes in end-diastolic area and intrathoracic blood volume and concomitant changes in stroke volume index are available.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of a change in body position on these variables were investigated in 10 anaesthetized patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrathoracic blood volume and end-diastolic area decreased by 18 +/- 11% and 27 +/- 13% respectively. Stroke volume index concomitantly decreased by 19 +/- 11%. Correlation analysis revealed a close relation between stroke volume index and intrathoracic blood volume (r=0.75) and end-diastolic area (r=0.76).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the observed range of data, intrathoracic blood volume and end-diastolic area are equivalent indices of cardiac preload.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anaesthesiologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Rheinisch Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Pauwelstrasse 30, 5204 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buhre
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
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: D000328:Adult; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013318:Stroke Volume