Thermal Dilution Curves in the Intact Animal

The acceptance of thermal dilution curves for the estimation of cardiac output has been discouraged by unconvincing comparisons with the Fick method and by the possibility of the loss of “indicator” to the tissues of the central circulation. The present studies were undertaken to examine the technical and physiologic factors affecting thermal curves, with particular reference to tissue heat exchanges, and to provide adequate data for estimating the usefulness of the thermal curves for simultaneous measurements of right and left ventricular outputs.