Aust Crit Care
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Assessment of the agreement between cardiac output measured by bolus thermodilution and continuous methods, with particular reference to the effect of heart rhythm.
Cardiac output (CO) is a fundamentally important haemodynamic parameter and its continuous measurement has the potential to enable early recognition of haemodynamic trends and earlier therapeutic response. A method of continuous cardiac output (CCO) monitoring is now available for clinical use. The accuracy and reliability of this method has been confirmed in clinical trials but not, to our knowledge, in the presence of abnormal heart rhythms. ⋯ The bias of the two measurements was -0.35 l/min for sinus rhythm, -0.19 l/min for sinus tachycardia and -0.12 l/min for atrial flutter/fibrillation. Increased temperature and heart rate did not affect measurement agreement. In conclusion, the agreement between the bolus and continuous methods is clinically acceptable and is unaffected by the heart rhythms of sinus rhythm, sinus tachycardia and atrial flutter/fibrillation.