Description

Haemodynamic monitoring is the study of how blood flows through the cardiovascular system, which is responsible for circulating the blood throughout the body. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removes waste products. Maintaining cardiovascular stability is therefore essential to life and many homeostatic mechanisms are in place to achieve this. Many conditions which result in a patient being in ICU result in changes in autonomic function, vascular tone, heart rate and myocardial contraction. The clinician should aim to ensure stability is maintained, minimising any extreme swings in the patient’s cardiovascular state. Many tools routinely used to monitor anaesthesia provide information on the cardiovascular system. The results of haemodynamic monitoring allow us to ensure a patient has:

An appropriate heart rate
A suitable blood pressure
Enough blood and decide whether more or less is needed
Structural problems with the heart which stops it from working properly

Reviews