Reliability of the Determination of Cardiac Output in Man by Means of the Fick Principle

Abstract

Two determinations of cardiac output using the Fick principle were performed within a 15 min. time period in a series of 167 patients representing a wide spectrum of cardiac and pulmonary disorders. The reproducibility of the 2 readings was found to be satisfactory, attesting to the reliability of the practical application of the Fick principle as employed in clinical medicine.