Decreased cardiac output: case for a collaborative diagnosis.

The nursing diagnosis Cardiac Output, Alteration in: Decreased (COAD) continues to be challenged as an appropriate nursing diagnostic category. Two areas of concern are the interdependent interventions associated with this physiologic diagnosis and the potential misuse of the diagnosis due to incomplete refinement of the diagnostic category. A new conceptual framework is suggested for dealing with physiologic diagnostic categories and ways to refine the definition, the etiologies, and the defining characteristics of COAD for use as a collaborative diagnosis are discussed.