Accuracy of thermodilution measurement of cardiac output in low flows applicable to feline and small canine patients.

A model system of feline or small canine cardiac output was used to produce known liquid flow rates in the range of 100 to 750 mL/min for comparison against a thermodilution technique of flow measurement. Thermal indicator size was decided by the thermal time concentration curve detected by the Edwards 9520A cardiac output computer. Ten consecutive readings for each flow were made. Regression analysis and Student's t-test were used to evaluate the results. The computer was found to give good correlation with the accurate flow measured by a graduated cylinder over a period of time (r = 0.99). An error of less than 7% overestimation of flow by thermodilution was found with flows greater than 200 mL/min (p less than 0.05). A significant error of more than 20% overestimation of the actual flow occurred with flows less than 200 mL/min (p less than 0.05). The Edwards 9520A computer was compared to the older Edwards 9510A model by averaged triplicate measurements at six different cardiac outputs in an anesthetized cat. The measurements were not significantly different (p less than 0.01). Thermodilution using an Edwards computer proves to be a promising tool in the measurement of low flows applicable to feline and small canine cardiac outputs.