Objective: Three of the us developed a new non-invasive continuous cardiac output (CCO) measurement method utilizing routine clinical monitors based on the pulse-contour analysis combined with pulse wave transit time (PWTT). Using pulmonary artery catheter (CCOpa), we compared this estimated CCO (esCO) with the thermodilution CCO early after cardiac surgery, and tested whether the esCO method has potential of being an alternative measure of CCO.
Methods: Thirty-six patients without continued arrhythmias were studied.