A comparative evaluation of thermodilution and partial CO2 rebreathing techniques for cardiac output assessment in critically ill patients during assisted ventilation.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the reliability and clinical value of partial noninvasive CO2 (NICO2) rebreathing technique for measuring cardiac output compared with standard thermodilution in a group of intensive care nonpostoperative patients.

DESIGN AND SETTING:

Clinical investigation in a university hospital ICU.

PATIENTS:

Twelve mechanically ventilated patients with high (n=6) and low (n=6) pulmonary shunt fractions.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS:

Thirty-six paired measurements of cardiac output were carried out with NICO2 and thermodilution in patients ventilated in pressure-support mode and sedated with a sufentanil continuous infusion to obtain a Ramsay score value of 2. The mean cardiac output was: thermodilution 7.27+/-2.42 l/min; NICO2 6.10+/-1.66 l/min; r2 was 0.62 and bias -1.2 l/min+/-1.5. Mean values of cardiac output were similar in the low shunt group (Qs/Qt < 20), with r2=0.90 and a bias of 0.01 l/min+/-0.4; conversely, in the high pulmonary shunt group (Qs/Q > 35%) the mean was 9.32+/-1.23 l/min with thermodilution and a mean NICO2CO value was 6.97+/-1.53 l/min, with r2 of 0.38 and a bias of -2.3 l+/-1.2 min.

CONCLUSIONS:

The partial CO2 rebreathing technique is reliable in measuring cardiac output in nonpostoperative critically ill patients affected by diseases causing low levels of pulmonary shunt, but underestimates it in patients with shunt higher than 35%.

• Authors: Monica Rocco, Gustavo Spadetta, Andrea Morelli, Donatella Dell'Utri, Patrizia Porzi, Giorgio Conti, Paolo Pietropaoli
• Journal: Intensive care medicine (Intensive Care Med) Vol. 30 Issue 1 Pg. 82-7 (Jan 2004) ISSN: 0342-4642 [Print] United States
• PMID: 14652718 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Validation Study)

Chemical References

• Anesthetics, Intravenous
• Carbon Dioxide
• Sufentanil

Topics

• Anesthetics, Intravenous (therapeutic use)
• Bias
• Breath Tests (methods)
• Carbon Dioxide
• Cardiac Output
• Conscious Sedation (methods)
• Critical Care (methods, standards)
• Critical Illness (therapy)
• Hospitals, University
• Humans
• Linear Models
• Monitoring, Physiologic (methods, standards)
• Oximetry (methods, standards)
• Patient Selection
• Positive-Pressure Respiration (methods)
• Pulmonary Circulation
• Pulmonary Gas Exchange
• Sufentanil (therapeutic use)
• Thermodilution (methods, standards)
• Tidal Volume