Thoracic electrical bioimpedance measurement of cardiac output in postaortocoronary bypass patients

Abstract

Use of the BoMed NCCOM3-R7 bioimpedance monitor as a replacement for thermodilution-derived cardiac output cannot be recommended in postaortocoronary bypass patients. The distortions of patients' normal anatomy and physiology, coupled with the presence of endotracheal tubes and mechanical ventilation, mediastinal tubes and chest tubes, result in only fair correlation, significant bias, and poor precision between the two measures of cardiac output.