Use of mass spectrometry and infrared CO2 analyzer for bedside measurement of cardiopulmonary function during anesthesia and intensive care.

Abstract

In response to the increasing abilities to provide continuous and detailed information on the cardiopulmonary status during and after open heart surgery, we measured hemodynamic and pulmonary functions including cardiac index, end-tidal CO2, minute volume, dead space, ventilation/perfusion ratio, O2 consumption, and other derived variables with a mass spectrometer. This was found useful, for example, in evaluating the need for artificial ventilation in postoperative cardiac patients.