Pediatric anesthesia & critical care
Comparison of the Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor and Echocardiography for Hemodynamic Assessment in Pediatric Anesthesia: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors' conclusion
Even when measurements were obtained from the same suprasternal window under controlled intraoperative conditions, USCOM systematically overestimated flow-derived parameters and markedly inflated stroke volume variation compared with echocardiography.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 6 months to 15 years, ASA I–II, undergoing elective surgery under standardized GAmedian age 7 years
- Participants
- 57 children
- Exposure
- Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor (USCOM) vs Echocardiography
- Outcome
- Agreement in stroke volume, velocity time integral, aortic valve area and stroke volume variation (mean of 3 consecutive measurements)
- Follow-up
- After induction and hemodynamic stabilization
Methodological detailssingle-centre, method comparison
- Single-centre
- Method comparison
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- USCOM produced higher stroke volume and velocity-time integral values than echocardiography
- Aortic valve area estimates similar
- Stroke volume variation markedly higher with USCOM, with wide limits of agreement
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Fluid responsiveness classification (stroke volume variation threshold 12%)
- USCOM classified most patients as fluid responsive; echocardiography identified substantially fewer above the cutoff
Original publication
Comparison of the Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitor and Echocardiography for Hemodynamic Assessment in Pediatric Anesthesia: A Prospective Observational Study. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. Published 5 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →