Cardiac output monitoring: aortic transpulmonary thermodilution and pulse contour analysis agree with standard thermodilution methods in patients undergoing lung transplantation.

Purpose: The PiCCO System is a relatively new device allowing intermittent cardiac output monitoring by aortic transpulmonary thermodilution technique (Aorta intermittent) and continuous car- diac output monitoring by pulse contour analysis (Aorta continu- ous). The objective of this study was to assess the level of agreement of Aorta intermittent and Aorta continuous with inter- mittent (PA intermittent) and continuous cardiac output (PA contin- uous) measured through a special pulmonary artery catheter (Vigilance System SvO2/CCO Monitor) in patients undergoing sin- gle- or double-lung transplantation. Methods: Measurements were obtained in 58 patients: at four time points in patients undergoing single-lung transplantation and at six time points in those undergoing double-lung transplantation. Bland and Altman and correlation analyses were used for statistical evaluation. Results: We found close agreement between the techniques. Mean bias between Aorta intermittent and PA intermittent and between Aorta continuous and PA continuous was 0.18 L·min–1 (2SD of differences between methods = 1.59 L·min–1) and -0.07 L·min–1 (2SD of differences between methods = 1.46 L·min–1) respectively. Mean bias between PA continuous and PA intermittent and Aorta continuous and PA intermittent was 0.15 L·min–1 (2SD of differences between methods = 1.39 L·min–1) and 0.08 L·min–1 (2SD of differences between methods = 1.43 L·min–1). Conclusion: Measurements with the aortic transpulmonary ther- modilution technique give continuous and intermittent values that agree with the pulmonary thermodilution method which is still the current clinical standard.