ABSTRACT
In most patients, clinical assessment, vital signs, urine output and simple tests such as core/ peripheral temperature gradients can provide a suitable evaluation of cardiovascular function. These will provide information on how well the cardiovascular system is fulfilling its basic function. The efficacy of the system in delivering oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and removing carbon dioxide and other products of tissue metabolism, depends upon the production of a cardiac output sufficient to meet the demands of tissue metabolism. Clearly, this is highly variable depending on how well (or ill) a patient is. Furthermore, the cardiac output must be regionally matched to the metabolic needs of individual organs.
