Abstract
Three thermodilution cardiac output computers were evaluated in an in vitro flow system for accuracy and in a respiratory intensive care unit for ease of operation. The three computers were the Edwards Laboratory Model 9500, the Instrumentation Laboratory Model 901, and the Kimray Medical Associates Model 3500. The in vitro system measurements from all three computers were found to correlate well with known flows, though the Edwards Laboratory computer consistently overestimated the cardiac output. The primary determinant for the computer of choice appeared to be ease of operation. Studies were then conducted in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit at the Medical College of Virginia to evaluate the individual features of the three computers. The Kimray Medical Associates Model 3500 was found to be the computer of choice, based on its ease of calibration, the ability to test for thermistor lead faults, and the automatic recording of the patient's core temperature as well as the injectate temperature.
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