Is cardiac power ever used clinically?

[DarkProtonics]

I was reading a textbook, and it discussed cardiac power, which apparently measures the efficiency of the heart's contractions. But, is it ever used clinically? Is it informative if CP was graphed against SVR?

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[dragonfly99]

Not really.
Usually cardiac output is what is used/discussed.

 

[DarkProtonics]

Not really.
Usually cardiac output is what is used/discussed.

But cardiac power measures inotropy...a high CO is useless if the heart can't generate enough pressure to perfuse the organs. And SVR determines whether the CO will provide enough pressure. So, why not use cardiac power, SVR, and mixed venous oxygen saturation to measure the state of a critical heart pt?

Has anyone though of threading a Swan-Ganz catheter through the radial artery and into the left heart to measure left heart volumes and pressures?

 

[gutonc]

Has anyone though of threading a Swan-Ganz catheter through the radial artery and into the left heart to measure left heart volumes and pressures?

Probably...but the radial artery is (at the access point in the wrist), tiny. And a S-G is (relatively) huge. And you are the only reason I read this particular board...you're quite amusing.

 

[DarkProtonics]

Probably...but the radial artery is (at the access point in the wrist), tiny. And a S-G is (relatively) huge. And you are the only reason I read this particular board...you're quite amusing.

What about the brachial artery, or a carotid?

Um...

 

[chitown82]

But cardiac power measures inotropy...a high CO is useless if the heart can't generate enough pressure to perfuse the organs. And SVR determines whether the CO will provide enough pressure. So, why not use cardiac power, SVR, and mixed venous oxygen saturation to measure the state of a critical heart pt?

Has anyone though of threading a Swan-Ganz catheter through the radial artery and into the left heart to measure left heart volumes and pressures?

here we go again...

 

[tibor75]

What about a carotid?

Um...

i assume this is a joke?

 

[gutonc]

i assume this is a joke?

Sadly, no. Once again, this pre-med has a little bit of theoretical knowledge without any practical knowledge/experience and now thinks that all of the practicing cardiologists in the world are idiots for not seeing things his/her way.

It's the medical equivalent of an undergrad smoking a bunch of weed, reading their "Intro to Philosophy" textbook and thinking that Aristotle, Kant and Nietschze are idiots for not seeing the pink flying dragon in the room.

 

[Optimator]

.

 

[gutonc]

You've obviously never smoked weed.

More than my fair share. But none recently.

 

[Optimator]

.

 

[DarkProtonics]

Sadly, no. Once again, this pre-med has a little bit of theoretical knowledge without any practical knowledge/experience and now thinks that all of the practicing cardiologists in the world are idiots for not seeing things his/her way.

No. No I don't. I realize things are done a certain way for a reason, but I'm wondering why they do it that way and not another way.

 

[lurkerboy]

But cardiac power measures inotropy...a high CO is useless if the heart can't generate enough pressure to perfuse the organs. And SVR determines whether the CO will provide enough pressure. So, why not use cardiac power, SVR, and mixed venous oxygen saturation to measure the state of a critical heart pt?

Has anyone though of threading a Swan-Ganz catheter through the radial artery and into the left heart to measure left heart volumes and pressures?

To give you a serious answer, yes, sort of. During a left heart cath/coronary angiogram, during the left ventriculogram, pressure is measured and the LV-aortic root gradient is measured during a pull-back. A swan-ganz catheter is too floppy to cross the aortic valve retrograde.