Introduction:

thermodilution considered the reference standard for measuring cardiac output. During the last decades, the appearance of other less invasive methods has been useful to determine cardiac output. The aim of the study is to analyze the correlation between cardiac output obtained by transthoracic echocardiography by continuity method and pulmonary thermodilution by Swan-Ganz catheter.

Material and methods:

prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out in the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital General Las Américas, the patients underwent a Swan-Ganz catheter; cardiac output was measured by echocardiography; subsequently, quantification of cardiac output by pulmonary thermodilution during March 2021 to August 2022.

Results:

fifty-eight measurements of cardiac output by Swan-Ganz with a median of 4.95 (range 3.1-7.2) and CO by echocardiography with a median of 4.93 (range 3.2-7.0) were compared. The difference in means for the measurement of cardiac output by Swan-Ganz was 5.20 (95% CI 4.56-5.84 p < 0.0001), compared to cardiac output by thermodilution 5.19 (95% CI 4.56-5.81 p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

there is a significant correlation between cardiac output measured by thermodilution and echocardiography; being considered a reliable alternative for the determination of cardiac output.