Correlation between cardiac output measured by the femoral arterial thermodilution technique pulmonary arterial and that measured by contour pulse analysis in a paediatric animal model.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the correlation between two methods for the determination of cardiac output: the femoral arterial thermodilution technique (FATD) and the arterial pulse contour analysis (PCCO) using the PiCCO catheter.


METHODS
We performed a prospective animal study using 51 immature Maryland pigs weighing 9 to 16 kg. A 4- or 5-Fr arterial PiCCO catheter was introduced into the femoral artery. In each animal, we made measurements of cardiac output at 30-minute intervals by femoral arterial thermodilution for a total of 209 measurements. We registered the previous PCCO and compared with the mean of two measures of FATD cardiac output.


RESULTS
Mean FATD was 1.73 +/- 0.60 L/min and mean PCCO was 1.78 +/- 0.70 L/min (no significant difference). The mean difference (bias) of differences (limits of agreement) was 0.04. The correlation founded between the two methods was 0.786 (95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.83).


CONCLUSIONS
Femoral arterial thermodilution cardiac output measurements correlates well with pulse contour analysis cardiac output in this paediatric animal model.
López-Herce
Jesús
J
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Gregorio Marañón Hospital, Dr. Castelo 47, 28009 Madrid, Spain. pielvi@ya.com
Rupérez
Marta
M
Sánchez
César
C
García
Cristina
C
García
Elena
E
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D011674:Pulse; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D013815:Thermodilution / Q000379:methods*