An observational study has found that monitoring stroke volume and cardiac output trends for patients with critical conditions may provide insight into cardiac function and help predict patient outcomes, including mortality.

The study sponsored by Baxter International, Inc. (Deerfield, IL, USA) was designed to evaluate trends in stroke volume (the amount of blood the heart pumps each time it beats) and cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps in one minute) over time as they relate to outcomes for critically ill patients. The study assessed 127 critical care patients in the intensive care unit that received hemodynamic monitoring using Baxter’s Starling Fluid Management Monitoring System, of whom 64% had sepsis and 15% had COVID-19. Study investigators compared patients’ first and last stroke volume measurement, with an average time of approximately seven hours between the first and last measurement.

Patients exhibiting an overall improvement in stroke volume showed a decrease in mortality (14.9%) compared to those who did not exhibit overall improvement in stroke volume (35.0%). Additionally, findings suggested that closely monitoring cardiac function may be important in preventing clinically relevant changes in patient outcome.

“These findings reinforce the importance of using non-invasive patient monitoring technology to deliver quick and precise fluid management data that can help clinicians make more informed, personalized treatment decisions and help enhance outcomes for critically ill patients,” said Douglas M. Hansell, M.D., MPH, vice president of medical affairs at Baxter. “Baxter plans to continue assessing data from the Starling Registry to examine the role of hemodynamic monitoring across a variety of clinical settings and patient diagnoses.”

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