CARDIKon - Diagnostische Konfidenz des impedanzkardiografisch bestimmten Cardiac Outputs

 

Impedance cardiography (ICG) is a known non-invasive method which allows continuous estimation of Cardiac Output of the heart of a patient. For the calculation of cardiovascular parameters an empirical model is used which is based on special pysiological assumtions. However, in the case of certain pathological changes or conditions it can occur that these assumtions are not completely met. Under such circumstances the supposed model has limitations what could result in a reduced accuracy of the estimated cardiological and hemodynamic parameters.

Therefore, under clinical conditions it is very important to provide the user with additional information regarding the expected accuracy of the measuring method for the given patient. For this purpose an additional bio-medical signal of the peripheral pulse wave the impedance plethysmographic (IPG) curve and its interaction with the impedance cardiographic (ICG) signal of the heart have been evaluated using new methods of signal analysis and modeling to identify new information suitable to appraise the expectable accuracy of impedance cardiography. The new methods have been tested on the basis of healthy and pathological data. For statistic verification further tests are necessary. However, first results indicate that the new approach can help to increase the confidence in impedance cardiography.