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    Attention COACH STUDY participants:

    The principal investigators of the study request that you use the official version of the modified score here.

    Cardiac Output (Fick’s Formula)

    Calculates cardiac output, cardiac index, and stroke volume.
    When to Use
    Pearls/Pitfalls
    Why Use

    • Inpatients with suspected cardiogenic shock and a pulmonary artery catheter in place.

    • For patients undergoing right or left heart catheterization to determine cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), and stroke volume (SV).

    • The two most widely used ways of calculating CO are Fick’s method and the thermodilution technique. Fick’s method is based on the principle that oxygen consumption is equal to the product of the organ’s blood flow (CO) and the difference in the concentration of the substance in the arterial and venous circulation (arterial-venous oxygen difference).

    • Fick’s method is less reliable in patients with pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, or abnormal body habitus.

    • The thermodilution technique is less reliable in patients with tricuspid regurgitation or intracardiac shunting.

    • Assesses cardiac capacity and aids in hemodynamic assessment.

    • Guides management in cardiogenic shock patients, specifically to assess effectiveness of fluid resuscitation, vasopressors, or inotropic support.

    lbs
    in
    %
    %
    g/dL
    beats/min
    <70 years
    ≥70 years

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    Next Steps
    Evidence
    Creator Insights
    Dr. Adolf E. Fick

    About the Creator

    Adolf E. Fick, MD, (d. 1901) was a physiologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Dr. Fick’s research focused primarily on physiology and medical physics.
    Content Contributors
    About the Creator
    Dr. Adolf E. Fick
    Content Contributors