Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Oct 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialThermodilution cardiac output. Cold vs room temperature injectate and the importance of measuring the injectate temperature in the right atrium.
The feasibility of thermodilution cardiac output measurements with the more convenient room temperature thermal indicator instead of cold injectates has been repeatedly investigated. However, the issue has not been addressed with the appropriate statistical approach advocated by Altman and Bland. Furthermore, we wished to determine if the incorporation of a second thermistor in the thermodilution catheter, to measure the temperature of the thermal indicator where it is delivered into the right atrium/superior caval vein, would result in more precise cardiac output measurements. ⋯ The second thermistor is redundant if cold injectates are used. If one wishes to use room temperature injectates the single thermistor system is inadequate. A dual thermistor catheter is, on the other hand, acceptable.