Hämodynamisches Monitoring

Haemodynamic monitoring is of high importance in the treatment of critically ill patients. It allows to control therapy by the surveillance of cardiovascular functions, and can take place clinically and with a variety of monitoring methods; the invasiveness depending mainly on the patient's concomitant cardiovascular diseases and current haemodynamic status. If the cardiovascular functions are unaffected, non-invasive basic monitoring is sufficient. It consists of ECG recording, non-invasive measurement of blood pressure, and pulse oximetry. In contrast, severe haemodynamic disturbances, due to acute heart failure, sepsis or shock, require invasive, extended haemodynamic monitoring, including measurement of arterial pressure, central venous pressure as well as cardiac output.