Table 3.
Top 10 most published definitions of low cardiac output syndrome.
| Definitions* | Appearance of definition in articles n (%) | Articles concerning adults [A], children [C] or both [AC] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiac index < 2.0 L/min/M2 | 16 (5.9) (27–42) | [AC] |
| 2 | Duration of inotropic use for >30 min with specified types of inotropes to maintain a systolic blood pressure >90 mmHg*; or the use of IABP; or a cardiac index < 2.2 L/min/M2 | 13 (4.8) (2–4, 8, 43–51) | [A] |
| 3 | Duration of inotropic use for >30 min to maintain a systolic blood pressure 90 mmHg*; or the use of IABP; or cardiac index < 2.2 L/min/M2 | 9 (3.3) (52–60) | [A] |
| 4 | The use of more than one inotropic drug and a lactate >2.0 mmol/L | 6 (2.2) (9, 15) | [C] |
| 5 | Duration of inotropic support for >24 h; or a cardiac index < 2.0 L/min/M2** | 6 (2.2) (6, 61–65) | [A] |
| Metabolic acidosis (a lactate >2.0 or base difference >4.0) with clinical signs of hypoperfusion (tachycardia >90/min* or oliguria 0.5 ml/kg/h); or an arterial-venous saturation difference >30% with clinical signs of hypoperfusion (tachycardia >90/min* or oliguria 0.5 ml/kg/h); or a cardiac arrest | 6 (2.2) (66–71) | [C] | |
| 7 | Cardiac index < 2.0 L/min/M2 and an increased PCWP | 6 (2.2) (12, 72–75) | [A] |
| 8 | Cardiac index < 2.0 L/min/M2 despite the use of inotropes (not further specified); or the use of IABP | 5 (1.8) (76–80) | [A] |
| 9 | The use of inotropes (not further specified); or mechanical support (ECMO, IABP or VAD) | 5 (1.8) (81–85) | [A] |
| 10 | Mechanical support (ECMO, IABP or VAD) | 5 (1.8) (86–90) | [A] |
*
If articles used different cut-off values, e.g., cardiac index cut-off values ranched from 1.75 till 3.0, we present the median cut-off value.
IABP, intra-aortic balloon pump; PCWP, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure; ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; VAD, ventricle assistant device.