Evaluation of Intra-aortic Balloon Counterpulsation Impact on Stroke Volume using a Non-invasive Technique: Impedance Cardiography

Abstract

In clinical practice, hemodynamic methods usually yield cardiac output values, while stroke volume (blood volume ejected during each contraction) is only estimated. Impedance cardiography gives a possibility for a direct measurement of stroke volume. Our aim was to analyse the possibility for the application of impedance cardiography for the assessment of an increase in stroke volume during intraaortic counterpulsation. This paper presents the possibilities for the application of impedance cardiography for the quantitative estimation of the influence of aortic counterpulsation on hemodynamics via the measurement of stroke volume. 35 patients were investigated during the study. In the comparison of intermittent thermodilution and impedance cardiography, the correlation coefficient ranged between 0.37 and 0.98. The comparison of the plot area of the extracted impedance cardiography curves of counterpulsated and non-counterpulsated cardiac cycles showed an increment of the stroke volume of up to 27.63% (p<0.05). Ill. 8, bibl. 17 (in English; summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).