Published in:
01-02-2007 | Technical Note
A pilot assessment of the FloTracTM cardiac output monitoring system
Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 2/2007
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Objective
To compare measurement of cardiac output (CO) by means of the FloTracTM CO monitor with the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC).
Design
Prospective observational study.
Setting
Intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital.
Patients
Six post-operative cardiac surgery patients with existing arterial cannulas and PACs.
Interventions
Attachment of the FloTracTM CO monitor and transducer to an existing arterial cannula. Simultaneous measurements of CO, indexed to body surface area (cardiac index, CI) by the FloTracTM CO monitor and by either a bolus thermodilution or continuous CO PAC. Statistical analysis of observations.
Measurements and results
We performed CO measurements in six patients every 1–4 h after cardiac surgery. Comparison of all measurements showed a limited correlation for CI with the two devices (r
2 = 0.1218, bias = 0.21, 95% limits of agreement –0.81, 1.23). CI measurements obtained with the intermittent bolus PAC had better correlation with the FloTracTM CI values (r
2 = 0.2693, bias = –0.0057, 95% limits of agreement –1.2042, 1.1929) than did those obtained with the continuous CO PAC (r
2 = 0.0557, bias = 0.2436, 95% limits of agreement –0.7350, 1.2222).
When analysed according to heart rhythm, CI values measured during atrial pacing showed the best correlation (r
2 = 0.377, bias = –0.0244, 95% limits of agreement –0.5226, 0.5714).
Conclusions
CO measurements obtained using the FloTracTM CO monitor show a limited correlation with those acquired using the PAC, relatively wide limits of agreement but no clear bias. Further evaluation is required before this device can be recommended for use in the clinical setting.