Clinically applicable model-based method, for physiologically accurate flow waveform and stroke volume estimation

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular dysfunction can be more effectively monitored and treated, with accurate, continuous, stroke volume (SV) and/or cardiac output (CO) measurements. Since direct measurements of SV/CO are highly invasive, clinical measures are often discrete, or if continuous, can require recalibration with a discrete SV measurement after hemodynamic instability. This study presents a clinically applicable, non-additionally invasive, physiological model-based, SV and CO measurement method, which does not require recalibration during or after hemodynamic instability. Methods and Results: The model's ability to predict flow profiles and SV is assessed in an animal trial, using endotoxin to induce sepsis in 5 pigs. Mean percentage error between beat-to-beat SV measured from an aortic flow probe and estimated by the model was −2%, while 90% of estimations fell within −24.2% and +27.9% error. Error between estimated and measured changes in mean SV following interventions was less than 30% for 4 out of the 5 pigs. Correlations between model estimated and probe measured flow, for each pig and hemodynamic interventions, was r2 = 0.58 − 0.96, with 21 of the 25 pig intervention stages having r2 > 0.80. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the model accurately estimates and tracks changes in flow profiles and resulting SV, without requiring model recalibration.