Validity of thermodilution method for measurement of cardiac output in pulmonary oedema

Abstract

Using a model of pulmonary oedema in closed-chest dogs, the reliability of the thermodilution method was demonstrated with either left atrial injection and aortic sampling or right atrial injection and pulmonary artery sampling sites. With the thermal indicator traversing oedematous lungs, broad aortic curves were obtained with variable over and under-estimation of cardiac output.