Shooting Thermodilution PA Catheter Cardiac Output Numbers

Equipment Required for Thermodilution Cardiac Output Measurement
📌 Essential equipment includes a thermodilution Swan-Ganz catheter already inserted and transduced, the cardiac output module for the monitor, and the corresponding thermodilution cardiac output cable.
🌡️ A temperature sensor (the blue end of the cable with a screw) connects to the Swan-Ganz catheter to measure the blood temperature inside the patient.
🧊 Necessary accessories are an ice bucket and a 500cc bag of saline solution to create the cold injectate.
🔗 Cardiac output tubing must be attached to the syringe and primed; the saline bag is hung on an IV pole, with the tubing coil run through ice in the bucket to cool the fluid.

Injection Procedure and Setup
➡️ The iced saline syringe connects to the CVP (Central Venous Pressure) port for injection, ensuring the injection is administered directly into this port.
🔄 The stopcock must be managed correctly: turn it off to the syringe when reading CVP, and off to the CVP line when injecting for cardiac output measurements.
🔌 The temperature sensor attaches to the cardiac output syringe to transmit the temperature of the injected saline to the monitor.

Performing the Cardiac Output Measurement
🖥️ On the monitor (e.g., GE monitor), navigate to "Procedures" and select "Cardiac Output," starting with "serial" measurements.
💉 After pressing start, the monitor prompts for injection; draw 10 cc's of iced saline using the syringe which has a one-way valve drawing from the iced bag.
💨 Inject the saline quickly and smoothly; in a real patient, the screen displays a temperature curve fluctuation before signaling "please wait" and then readiness for the next injection.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Ensure the iced saline injection is rapid and smooth to achieve an accurate temperature curve reading on the monitor.
➡️ Proper stopcock manipulation is crucial to alternate between monitoring CVP and administering the iced injectate via the CVP port.
➡️ The temperature sensor provides the critical feedback loop, informing the machine of the exact temperature of the injectate as it enters the patient.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 16, 2026, 01:52 UTC