BLOOD FLOW METER

Typical Number in Hospital: 5

Cost Bands: 3,4

References: 3,9

Blood flow may need to be measured in three different situations. The rate of blood flow pumped by the heart (cardiac output) as a measure of heart performance, flow through arterial grafts at the time of surgery to check that the graft will perform satisfactorily, and flow in peripheral vessels may be measured to help in the diagnosis of the site and severity of vascular disease.

Cardiac output is usually measured using a dilution technique (thermal, dye, isotope), vascular graft performance is usually measured using an electromagnetic flow-meter and sometimes with an ultrasonic doppler flowmeter, and peripheral flow is usually assessed using an ultrasonic blood velocity or flow-meter. Peripheral flow is sometimes assessed using light, volume or impedance plethysmographs.

Further details may be found under the specific items mentioned above.