Performance of thermodilution catheters under control and extreme circulatory conditions in a pig model
2011
Performance of thermodilution catheters in pigs
Sample size: 4
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Yang XX, Critchley LA, Zhu F, Tian Q
Primary Institution: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hypothesis
How do thermodilution catheters perform under different circulatory conditions?
Conclusion
Thermodilution is less accurate than originally thought in haemodynamically unstable patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Baseline cardiac outputs were 1.9 l/minute for flow meter and 1.8 l/minute for thermodilution readings.
- Following treatment, cardiac output ranged from 0.5 to 3.4 l/minute for flow meter and 0.7 to 3.5 l/minute for thermodilution.
- The baseline percentage error for thermodilution was 24.3%, which is higher than the quoted precision error of ± 20%.
Takeaway
The study tested how well certain medical devices work in pigs, finding that they aren't as reliable in sick patients as previously believed.
Methodology
Four domestic pigs were anaesthetized, and cardiac output readings were taken using different catheters and drug infusions.
Limitations
The study was conducted on a small sample size of pigs, which may limit the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
Domestic pigs weighing 30 to 32 kg.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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