Abstract
Objective: To correlate cardiac index in normal late third-trimester pregnancy using the thoracic electrical bioimpedance technique with that obtained from the oxygen extraction technique. Methods: Eight carefully screened normal pregnant women underwent assessment of cardiac index using both the thoracic electrical bio-impedance technique and the oxygen extraction technique. Measurements were obtained in various positions. Results: The correlation was good between the thoracic electrical bio-impedance and oxygen extraction techniques in the left lateral (r = 0.915) and right lateral (r = 0.863) positions, and the intercepts at the midpoints of the oxygen extraction data in these positions suggested good absolute correlation as well. Correlation between thoracic electrical bio-impedance and the Fick cardiac index was poor in all other positions. Conclusions: Thoracic electrical bio-impedance cardiac index assessment is influenced by maternal position and must be used with caution in clinical research protocols. This technique appears to be inappropriate for general clinical use during pregnancy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 669-672 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Obstetrics and gynecology |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - May 1994 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Obstetrics and Gynecology