Protocolized resuscitation with esophageal Doppler monitoring may improve outcome in post-cardiac surgery patients

Subjects: 174 adults who had cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Subjects undergoing off-pump surgery, aged <18 years, or with relative contraindications to the use of the esophageal Doppler probe, such as esophageal disease, were excluded. Subjects were also excluded postoperatively if on admission to intensive care there was excessive bleeding, unstable arrhythmias, a need for intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, or inotrope requirements >10 μg/kg/min of dopamine or dobutamine or >0.16 μg/kg/min of epinephrine or norepinephrine.