New heart monitor ‘accurate'
The new USCOM method involves placing a small ultrasound probe on the chest. Image: cosmin4000/iStockphoto A new Australian study has confirmed the accuracy of a modern non-invasive cardiac output monitor that can replace a 40-year-old standard in this field.The collaborative paper by researchers at The University of Queensland School of Medicine, the Florey Neuroscience Institute and the University of Melbourne compared the current accepted method of measuring cardiac output with a non-invasive accurate ultrasound monitor called USCOM.The current gold standard cardiac monitor is the Pulmonary Artery Catheter (PAC), which involves insertion of a catheter into a patient's neck or groin.The catheter is then positioned in their arteries through the heart before heating or cooling the blood.Alternatively, the newer USCOM method simply involves placing a small ultrasound probe on the chest.Professor Malcolm West, a Professor of Medicine at The University of Queensland School of Medicine and a paper co-author said: “The USCOM device...