Continuous assessment of right ventricular ejection fraction: new pulmonary artery catheter versus transoesophageal echocardiography.
In 25 cardiac surgical patients, right ventricular ejection fraction was continuously measured with a new pulmonary artery catheter and transoesophageal echocardiography, scanning the 'fractional area change' in a standardised transatrial cross section area. Measurements were recorded at three predefined time points (pre-, intra-, and postoperatively). Both methods were compared using the Bland-Altman analysis. Comparing right ventricular ejection fraction values obtained from the pulmonary artery catheter with those assessed by transoesophageal echocardiography, bias was -3.7%, with a precision of 30.9%. Bias and precision significantly improved when the heart rate was less than 100 beats.min(-1), pulmonary artery pressures were low and cardiac performance adequate. In conclusion, the new continuous pulmonary artery catheter system appears to be a valid and useful bedside monitoring device in the haemodynamic management of critically ill patients.
Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
W
W
Zink
J
J
Nöll
H
H
Rauch
H
H
Bauer
R
R
Desimone
E
E
Martin
B W
BW
Böttiger
D000368:Aged; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000379:methods*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*