The thermodilution technique during artificial ventilation

"It is a source of regret that the measurement of flow is so much more difficult than the measurement of pressure. This has led to an undue interest in blood pressure measurements. Most organs, however, require flow rather than pressure". This statement from Jarisch [11] in 1881, cited by PrysRoberts (1969), is still fully accepted. Many methods of flow or cardiac output measurements have been developed, but the number of methods for application in animal and, particularly, human studies is limited. In this thesis the indicator dilution method will be considered because this method attained an extensive application in clinical practice, even under circumstances (e.g. during mechanical ventilation) which do not fulfill the theoretical conditions required for the method.