Cardiac Output Measurements

Importance of Cardiac output

measurement
 Cardiac output is the amount of blood delivered by the heart
to the aorta per minute.
 During each beat, in the case of adults, the amount of blood
pumped ranges from 70 to 100 ml.
 For normal adults the cardiac output is about 4-6
litres/minute.
 The measurement of cardiac output is necessary to study the
various cardiac disorders. A decrease in cardiac output may
be due to low blood pressure, reduced tissue oxygenation,
poor renal function, shock and acidosis.
Methods for Cardiac output
measurement
(i) Fick’s method
(ii) Indicator dilution method
(iii) Thermo dilution method
(iv) Impedance method
(i) Fick’s method
Fick’s method
 A method of calculating cardiac output or organ blood flow
from measurements of oxygen consumption and of the
difference in oxygen concentration between arterial and
venous.
Fick’s method
(ii) Indicator dilution method
(iii) Thermo dilution method
Thermo dilution method
Thermo dilution method
(iv) Impedance method