CO assessment by suprasternal Doppler in critically ill patients: comparison with thermodilution

• Published in: Intensive care medicine 2000-06, Vol.26 (6), p.693-697
• Main Authors: LEFRANT, J.-Y, BENBABAALI, M, RIPART, J, AYA, A. G. M, SAÏSSI, G, DAUZAT, M, DE LA COUSSAYE, J.-E, ELEDJAM, J.-J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac Output; Catheters; Coronary vessels; Echocardiography, Doppler - methods; Emergency and intensive cardiocirculatory care. Cardiogenic shock. Coronary intensive care; Female; Flow velocity; Heart rate; Hemodynamics; Humans; Intensive care; Intensive care medicine; Intensive Care Units; Linear Models; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Ostomy; Pancreatitis - diagnosis; Patients; Postoperative Care; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary arteries; Regression analysis; Shock, Septic - diagnosis; Thermodilution; Ventilators
• ISSN: 0342-4642; 1432-1238
• DOI: 10.1007/s001340051234

Comparison of suprasternal Doppler (SST) and thermodilution (TD) for the measurement of cardiac output (CO) in critically ill patients. Prospective study. Intensive care unit of a university hospital. 65 consecutive critically ill patients requiring a pulmonary artery catheter. Paired CO measurements were made simultaneously using SST and TD by two independent operators. The time to obtain a CO value by SST was measured. Correlation coefficients and the linear regression equation were determined. A Bland and Altman diagram was plotted. A Bland and Altman diagram was also plotted for the level of cardiac index (CI) values (low: CI < 2.5 l min(-1) m(-2); normal: 2.5 < or = CI < or = 4.5 l min(-1) m(-2); high: CI > 4.5 l min(-1) m(-2)). In seven patients SST failed to measure CO. In the remaining 58 patients 314 paired CO measurements were performed. The mean time to measure CO by SST was 73 +/- 45 s. The equation of linear regression was: SST(CO) = 0.84 TD(CO) + 1.39. The correlation coefficient was 0.84. The bias between SST and TD was -0.2 +/- 1.4 l min(-1). Biases were -0.23 +/- 0.50, -0.20 +/- 0.68, and 0.25 +/- 0.92 l min(-1) m(-2) for low, normal, and high levels of CI, respectively. SST does not accurately measure CO but allows a rapid assessment of CI level in critically ill patients.