Clinical validation of a real-time data processing system for cardiac output and arterial pressure measurement during intraoperative biventricular pacing optimization

Biventricular pacing (BiVP) improves cardiac output (CO) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in selected patients at risk for acute left heart failure after cardiac surgery. Optimization of atrioventricular delay (AVD) and interventricular delay (VVD) to maximize the hemodynamic effect of pacing requires rapid and accurate data processing. Conventional post hoc data processing (PP) is accurate but time-consuming, and infeasible in the intraoperative setting. We created a customized, real-time data processing (RTP) system to improve data processing efficiency, while maintaining accuracy. Biventricular pacing optimization was performed within 1 hour of the conclusion of CPB in 10 patients enrolled in the Biventricular Pacing After Cardiac Surgery trial. Cardiac output, measured by an electromagnetic flow meter, and arterial pressure were recorded as AVD was randomly varied across seven settings and VVD across nine settings. Post hoc data processing values calculated by two observers were compared to RTP-generated outputs for CO and MAP. Interexaminer reliability coefficients were generated to access the dependability of RTP. Interexaminer reliability coefficient values ranged from 0.997 to 0.999, indicating RTP is as reliable as PP for optimization. Real-time data processing is instantaneous and therefore is more practical in a clinical setting than the PP method. Real-time data processing is useful for guiding intraoperative BiVP optimization and merits further development.