Cardiac Index (CI) is a vital parameter that relates cardiac output to body surface area, providing an assessment of the heart's performance relative to the size of the individual. In the context of patients undergoing hypothermia, such as during certain surgical procedures or therapeutic cooling, CI values can be impacted as body temperature decreases.
At a cooling temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, physiological processes slow down, including heart rate and myocardial contractility, which typically results in a lower CO and subsequently a lower CI. The CI values may be altered due to the reduced metabolic demands and changes in cardiovascular function at lower temperatures.
A CI of 1.8 is reflective of this state, indicating that the cardiac output is reduced due to the altered physiological condition of the patient at that specific cooling temperature. This value falls within the expected range for a patient at reduced body temperature, considering the physiological adaptation to hypothermia. Overall, understanding these dynamics is crucial in the management of patients undergoing procedures requiring temperature modulation.