THERMODILUTIONS Meaning and
Definition
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Thermodilutions refers to a medical procedure used to measure cardiac output (the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute). It involves the injection of a cold saline solution into the bloodstream, which lowers the temperature of the blood. By monitoring the change in temperature over time, the rate at which the blood is being pumped by the heart can be determined.
During the thermodilution procedure, a catheter is inserted into a large vein, usually in the neck or groin, and guided into the pulmonary artery. This catheter has a temperature probe near its tip. The cold saline solution, known as the indicator, is rapidly injected into the vein, and its cold temperature mixes with the warm blood, causing a decrease in the overall temperature of the blood.
The temperature probe on the catheter measures the temperature changes occurring as the indicator is mixed with the blood. These temperature changes are recorded and analyzed by specialized equipment to calculate various cardiac parameters, including cardiac output.
Thermodilution is a commonly used technique in critical care settings, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU) or operating rooms, to monitor the hemodynamic stability of patients with certain cardiac conditions or undergoing surgical procedures. It provides important information about the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently and helps guide medical interventions or treatment decisions.
Common Misspellings for THERMODILUTIONS
- rhermodilutions
- fhermodilutions
- ghermodilutions
- yhermodilutions
- 6hermodilutions
- 5hermodilutions
- tgermodilutions
- tbermodilutions
- tnermodilutions
- tjermodilutions
- tuermodilutions
- tyermodilutions
- thwrmodilutions
- thsrmodilutions
- thdrmodilutions
- thrrmodilutions
- th4rmodilutions
- th3rmodilutions
- theemodilutions
- thedmodilutions
Etymology of THERMODILUTIONS
The word "thermodilutions" can be broken down into two parts: "thermo" and "dilution".
"Thermo" is derived from the Greek word "thermos", meaning "hot" or "heat". It is commonly used as a prefix in scientific and technical terms relating to heat or temperature.
"Dilution" comes from the Latin word "dilutus", which means "thinned" or "dissolved". It refers to the process of making a solution less concentrated by adding a solvent.
In the context of "thermodilutions", the word is often used in medical and cardiovascular fields to describe a technique or method that involves the measurement of blood volume or cardiac output using the principles of temperature and dilution.
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