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Cardiac output monitoring in non-cardiac surgery: how <strong>and</strong> why? 179Cardiac output monitoring in non-cardiac surgery: how <strong>and</strong> why?A/PROF. PHILIP PEYTON MD PHD FANZCADepartment of <strong>Anaesthesia</strong>, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VICPhilip Peyton is a Staff Anaesthetist with an interest in research, with a focus on haemodynamic monitoring <strong>and</strong>lung gas exchange physiology. His MD was in the field of pulmonary blood flow measurement, <strong>and</strong> his PhD ininhalational agent pharmacokinetics.Conflict of Interest Statement: Philip Peyton <strong>and</strong> Austin Health are applicants in a US Patent Application. No.12/743224 “System <strong>and</strong> method for monitoring cardiac output”.BACKGROUNDThe number of technologies for monitoring of cardiac output in anaesthesia <strong>and</strong> critical care has grown substantiallyover the last 15-20 years. The aim has been to provide less invasive <strong>and</strong> hazardous alternatives to the pulmonaryartery catheter to optimise patient haemodynamics <strong>and</strong> fluid management. In recent years this has spurredinvestigation into improvements in patient outcomes. Research continues into the best combinations of fluidvolumes, use of crystalloid versus colloid solutions, <strong>and</strong> inotrope <strong>and</strong> vasopressor use to maintain physiologicalhomeostasis in the face of the blood <strong>and</strong> fluid losses, acid-base <strong>and</strong> thermoregulatory disturbance <strong>and</strong> cardiovascularinstability that can accompany anaesthesia for major surgery.The older techniques for measurement of cardiac output included methods that were not adapted to real-timeuse in the perioperative setting. Indicator dilution methods using injection of indicators such as indocyanine greenwere “single shot” techniques, as were methods based on uptake of inert gas, like nitrous oxide, by the lung.Thermodilution has been useful tool on the perioperative setting, but requires invasive cannulation with a right heartcatheter, as does the oxygen Fick method. The routine use of thermodilution <strong>and</strong> the pulmonary artery catheter isoften confined to cardiac surgery <strong>and</strong> high risk patients undergoing major surgery, such as liver transplantation.The newer less invasive techniques for cardiac output measurement fall broadly into the categories of pulsecontour based methods, Doppler devices, thoracic bioimpedance <strong>and</strong> partial CO 2 rebreathing. In combination witharterial <strong>and</strong> central venous blood pressure measurement, the data from these devices allow determination of cardiacoutput as well as systemic vascular resistance (SVR) or left ventricular afterload among other derived variables,which can then guide inotrope, vasopressor <strong>and</strong> volume therapy (Figure 1). In addition, many devices provideindices of ventricular preload to guide volume replacement therapy. However, while invasive measurement of bloodpressure is now common in clinical practice, use of minimally invasive techniques for stroke volume or cardiacoutput measurement remains far from routine. The limited use of these technologies is largely due to the cost ofthese devices <strong>and</strong> their disposable components, <strong>and</strong> concerns about their accuracy <strong>and</strong> precision.The principles behind these techniques, their reliability <strong>and</strong> their potential to influence patient management willbe reviewed.Figure 1. The components of haemodynamic assessment, <strong>and</strong> their modifiersPerfusion pressure(Preload)Fluids/VolumeCardiacoutput(Afterload)VascularResistanceInotropes &ChronotropyVasopressors