Cardiac output measurement in children: comparison of the Ultrasound Cardiac Output Monitor with thermodilution cardiac output measurement.

Objective: To compare the assessment of cardiac output (CO) in children using the noninvasive Ultrasound Cardiac Output Monitor (USCOM) with the invasive pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) thermodilution cardiac output measurement.

Design And Setting: Prospective observational study in a tertiary center for pediatric cardiology of a university children's hospital.

Patients: Twenty-four pediatric patients with congenital heart disease without shunt undergoing cardiac catheterization under general anesthesia.