Pulmonary vascular disease & thromboembolism
Agreement of thermodilution and direct Fick methods for cardiac output across varying haemodynamic conditions
Authors' conclusion
Although TD shows a predictable bias across flow states, it remains a clinically reliable method for estimating elevated PVR. These findings support the clinical utility of TD in PH assessment, while emphasizing the need for direct Fick measurement in low-output states-particularly in patients evaluated for advanced therapies such as transplantation.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing right heart catheterization (2014–22)
- Participants
- 852 right heart catheterizations
- Index test or model
- QTD with Fick-derived Q (QF) across haemodynamic states; PVRTD against elevated PVRF
- Target condition
- Elevated PVRF at both 2 and 5 Wood unit thresholds
Methodological detailssimultaneous QTD and QF measurements
- Simultaneous QTD and QF measurements
Performance
As reported in the abstract
- Area under the curve
- 0.97
- P
- P < .001
Further findings
Correlation of QTD with QF
- R
- 0.78
- P
- P < 0.001
Bias of QTD vs QF by flow state
L/min
- Low-flow states (overestimating Q)
- +0.1
- Normal/high flow (underestimating Q)
- −0.48
- Flow-dependent bias
Agreement between QTD and QF by tricuspid regurgitation severity
- Unaffected by tricuspid regurgitation severity
Patient characteristics
- Heart failure
- 64%
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension
- 20%
Original publication
Agreement of thermodilution and direct Fick methods for cardiac output across varying haemodynamic conditions. ESC Heart Fail. Published 8 January 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →