• G Padua, G Canestrelli, G Pala, D Sechi, and M C Spanu.
• Unit of Cardioanesthesia and Intensive Care, SS Annunziata Civic Hospital, ASL.1, Sassari, Italy. gvpadua@freemail.it
• Minerva Anestesiol. 2003 Jul 1; 69 (7-8): 617-22, 622-4.

AimOf all technical devices used for continuous or intermittent monitoring of cardiac output, in our clinical practice during the last year, we tested a new system, the true continuoas cardiac output monitoring system (TruCCOMS), for the continuous real time measurement of cardiac output. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy, reliability and promptness of TruCCOMS with other systems and methods of cardiac output (CO) measurement such as pulsion continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) and end diastolic Area (EDA) determination by trans-esophageal-echocar-diography (TEE), keeping as gold standard for CO measurement the thermodilution method by Swan-Ganz.MethodsSixteen male patients, aged 50 to 60 years, with ejection fraction (FE) >50%, EUROSCORE=1, who underwent CABG surgery with circulation extra corporeal (CEC), were analysed with all methods mentioned above. The measurements were obtained at different phases: pre-CEC; post-CEC; and Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In the ICU setting, 5 patients classified as under-filled with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) =/<8 mmHg were filled until a PCWP gs;13 mmHg in order to evaluate the promptness of the various systems to detect the new condition.ResultsThe statistical analysis of data obtained in our survey, clearly demonstrates that TruCCOMS is at least equivalent to average thermo-dilution cardiac output (AvTDCO), with the advantage of being continuous, real time and, furthermore, with no need for physician intervention/interference.ConclusionIn our experience the TruCCOMS seems to be an ideal method for continuous cardiac output (CCO) monitoring compared with the other bedside systems challenged.

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