The nurse is reviewing the results of a patient's cardiac output curve and notes that the size of the curve is small. Which of the following does this finding indicate?
1. a low cardiac output
2. a poor injection technique
3. incorrect placement of the catheter
4. a high cardiac output
4
Rationale: A small curve indicates a rapid return of the blood to its baseline temperature and, therefore, a high cardiac output. This is what the patient's cardiac output curve represented. A large curve indicates a slow return to baseline temperature and, therefore, a low cardiac output. A notched or uneven curve indicates poor injection technique, and the value obtained should not be accepted. A small cardiac output curve does not indicate incorrect placement of the catheter.
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