TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH Influence of drugs on the response characteristics of the LiDCO sensor: an in vitro study

Editor’s key points † Previous work in animals suggested that certain anaesthetic drugs affect the accuracy of the LiDCO cardiac output monitor. † In this laboratory study, a2 agonists, ketamine, lidocaine, and rocuronium all produced a bias of .10% in the LiDCO voltage sensor. † These might potentially cause inaccuracies when using the LiDCO device. † Further work is needed to confirm these findings and their clinical relevance. Background. In a previous study, the authors found a large bias (50%) for lithium (LiDCO) compared with thermodilution cardiac output measurement methods in ponies receiving i.v. infusions of xylazine, ketamine, and midazolam. This prompted the authors to examine the effect of drugs on the LiDCO sensor.