Ital J Pediatr
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Comparison of cardiac output and cardiac index values measured by critical care echocardiography with the values measured by pulse index continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) in the pediatric intensive care unit:a preliminary study.
Planning optimal fluid and inotrope-vasopressor-inodilator therapy is essential in critically ill children. Pulse index Contour Cardiac Output (PiCCO) monitoring is an invasive, hemodynamic monitor that provides parameter measurements such as cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI). Use of ultrasonography and critical care echocardiography by the pediatric intensivists has increased in recent years. In the hands of an experienced pediatric intensivist, critical echocardiography can accurately measure both CO and CI. Our objective in this study is to compare the CO and CI values measured by pediatric intensivist using critical care echocardiography to the values measured by PiCCO monitor in critically ill pediatric patients. ⋯ Our study results suggest that critical care echocardiography measurement of CO and CI performed by an experienced pediatric intensivist are comparable to PiCCO measurements. The critical care echocardiography measurement can be used to guide fluid and vasoactive-inotropic management of critically ill pediatric patients.