title: Cardiac output by Flotrac/VigileoTM validation trials: are there reliable conclusions?
abstract: We reviewed the comparative trials of the Flotrac/VigileoTM versus the thermodilution method, published in the last five years. The results about the agreement between the two methods measuring cardiac output are contrasting. We also noticed that almost the whole pertinent literature include studies conducted without a correct statistical design, particularly about the sample size. For this reason we consider that results of the published studies about the agreement between pulse contour analysis for cardiac output measurement and thermodilution method may be not reliable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care - IRCCS Humanitas Clinical Institute, Rozzano, Milan (Italy). enrico.giustiniano@gmail.com
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giustiniano
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morenghi
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balazova
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dominoni
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Marinelli
mesh_terms: D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013815:Thermodilution / Q000295:instrumentation