Patient selection for iced versus room temperature injectate for thermodilution cardiac output determinations.

In 42 patients who required hemodynamic monitoring there was no statistically significant difference between mean cardiac output determined with iced vs. room temperature injectate. There was also no statistical difference in mean cardiac output values using iced vs. room temperature injectate when data were grouped according to body temperature, mean arterial pressure, and cardiac output. These results suggest that when cardiac output is measured by the methods described, the use of iced injectate is unnecessary in many critically ill patients.