Measurement of cardiac output with indocyanine green transcutaneous fluorescence dilution technique.

Background: Cardiac output is an essential parameter for the hemodynamic assessment of patients with cardiovascular disease. The authors tested in an animal model the feasibility of measuring cardiac output by transcutaneous fluorescence monitoring of an intravenous bolus injection of indocyanine green.

Methods: Fluorescence dilution cardiac output was measured in 10 anesthetized rabbits and compared with cardiac output measured with a pulmonary thermodilution catheter and to aortic velocity measured by Doppler ultrasound.