Computer-Aided Clinical Decision System: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of Essential Hypertension by a Novel Noninvasive Hemodynamic Analyzer

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to compute cardiac output (CO) noninvasively and other hemodynamic parameters by a new computer-aided decision system: a Noninvasive Hemodynamic Analyzer (NHA), and use the obtained data to demonstrate hemodynamic instability of two hypertensive patients. The NHA is composed of several instruments, including an electronic blood pressure instrument (with pulse curve detection), oxymeter (SpO2), hemoglobinometer and a core-body thermometer. Their data inputs are the dynamic characteristics of the patient’s condition. The static characteristics including, date of birth, sex, height, weight and test date are entered manually or via computer. These inputs are analyzed by a high performance multi-function data acquisition computer. In a recently published retrospective study of 203 ICU patients thermodilution cardiac output data were compared with NHA computed CO values. Statistical evaluation, concerning bias, precision and accuracy showed clinically acceptable ranges according to a literature survey. The hemodynamic pattern of two essential hypertensive patients were computed by the NHA and diagnostic and therapeutic directions were demonstrated. The NHA computer-aided clinical decision system provides reliable guidance for hemodynamic evaluation and leads to a scientifically based differential diagnosis of hypertensive patients as a promising screening method. Since the NHA system can function separately from direct patient measurement, it can be ideally applied to telemedicine applications.