Cardiac Output and Cardiac Index, what they really measure

Welcome to Pulse and Pressors, where critical care gets crystal clear. In this episode, we break down one of the most misunderstood concepts in hemodynamics: the difference between cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI). You’ll learn what these numbers truly measure, when thermodilution becomes unreliable, why CI is not simply “normalized CO,” and why CI becomes clinically meaningless in severe vasoplegia and high-output septic shock. What we cover: • CO vs CI: What each value really represents • The thermodilution formula and the physiologic scenarios that break it • Why indexing to body surface area can hide shock • Why CI rises in vasoplegia and no longer reflects perfusion • The metrics that matter more than CI: MAP, SvO2/ScvO2, lactate, and cardiac power output (CPO) If you want to master hemodynamics, this series will change how you think. This is Pulse & Pressors, reflecting on the marvels of the human body. –––––––––––––––––– #hemodynamics#criticalcare#ICU#cardiacoutput#cardiacindex#vasoplegia#sepsis#cardiogenicshock#PAPI#CPO#echocardiography#resuscitation #pulmonaryarterycatheter#SwanGanz#medicaleducation#PulseAndPressors#intensivecare#cardiology#shockmanagement#advancedhemodynamics