The significance of ultrasonic cardiac output monitor for monitoring cardiac function in the children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure

Objective To explore the application of the ultrasonic cardiac output monitor (USCOM) in the children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure. Methods Fourteen children with pneumonia complicated with heart failure were enrolled in the experimental group and thirty-two children with common pneumonia were enrolled in the control group. We used the USCOM to measure the cardiac output indicators, including the aortic peak velocity, heart rate, stroke volume index, cardiac index, ejection time and correcting ejection time. Results The heart rate in the experimental group was faster than that of control group [(174±10) beats/min vs (133±14) beats/min, P<0.05], the aortic peak velocity in the experimental group was lower than that of control group [(1.246±0.234) m/s vs (1.449±0.300) m/s, P<0.05], the stroke volume index in the experimental group was lower than that of control group [(29.357±6.500) ml/m2 vs (40.188±5.337) ml/m2, P<0.05], and the correcting ejection time in the experimental group was shorter than that of control group [(342.560±8.219) ms vs (354.430±16.500) ms, P<0.05]. Conclusion The cardiac function monitoring by USCOM is accurate and convenient, and USCOM can provide the accurate evidence for the clinical application. Key words: Pneumonia; Heart failure; Cardiac function; Ultrasonics cardiac output monitor; Children