Abstract
The FloTrac system is composed of the FloTracTM sensor and Vigileo monitorTM (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA). The FloTrac system uses arterial pressure-based cardiac output: APCO, which is based on the relationship between pulse pressure and stroke volume. This principle, as well as recent advances in signal processing, has led to the development of a novel system that can continuously measure cardiac output from an arterial pressure waveform that does not require an external calibration reference method. The latest FloTrac system software (Ver. 3.02) shows the highest degree of precision compared to PAC values. Modification of the software, such as assessing differences in systolic/diastolic area and time ratios based on the dicrotic location analysis, has resulted in improved accuracy in measuring cardiac output.
SVV calculated by the FloTrac system is a useful predictor of increased CO in response to volume expansion (VE), and the FloTrac system is able to track changes in CO induced by VE. The FloTrac system is considered to be useful as a monitoring device in clinical practice.
In conclusion, our findings suggest that dynamic indices, such as stroke volume variation (SVV), are able to adequately predict the individual response to fluid loading, and can reliably predict fluid responsiveness compared to routinely used static variables of cardiac preload, such as filling pressures (central venous pressure, CVP, and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, PAOP) in fluid optimization.
