Evaluation of the tracking potential of a noninvasive estimator of cardiac output

A robust, automatic measurement system for calculating cardiac output noninvasively has recently been developed. The proposed method relies on fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of pulses measured externally at the carotid and femoral pressure points. A transfer function of the aorta is computed from these (calibrated) pressure measurements, and a tapered model of the aorta is parametrically adapted so that its transfer function matches that derived experimentally. Incorporated in the system are a custom routine for digitally filtering pressure data and a simplex optimization algorithm for identification of aortic parameters essential to the calculation of impedance and aortic flow. Once flow has been reconstructed in the time domain it is averaged to a stroke volume and multiplied by the heart rate to yield cardiac output. Flow measurements are computed over several pulses and compared against the standard, invasive procedure of thermodilution. Preliminary results for a dynamic investigation of the method indicate a strong potential for tracking changes in cardiac output over time, thus advocating its use in monitoring hemodynamically unstable patients.