[A method for continuous monitoring of total peripheral and pulmonary vascular resistance in high risk cardiac patients].

In this study we present a computer-assisted monitoring system ("Opserver") which allows a continuous registration of directly measured values: hear rate (HR), systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure (SAP, DAP, MAP): systolic, diastolic and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPs, PAPd, PAPm), central venous pressure (CVP), mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), pulse-oxymetrically measured oxygen saturation (SaO2), cardiac output (CO) and calculated haemodynamic parameters: cardiac index (CI), total peripheral vascular resistance (TPVR) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). The basic principle of this on-line monitoring system is the registration of calculated parameters combining data of various devices by specially-developed software. The procedure is shown in several clinical examples. The advantages of this system are:--monitoring of critical haemodynamic responses in cardiac high-risk patients relating to induction and finishing of anaesthesia including in- and extubation, recovery from anaesthesia, operation and transport and--exact documentation of the data for the purpose of clinical studies. Based on continuous measurement, this monitoring system allows an optimum evaluation of cardiorespiratory acute incidents, thereby permitting a problem-oriented therapy in high-risk patients with vasoactive medication in the perioperative period and in the intensive care unit.