System and method for evaluating cardiac pumping function

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon that direct a computer system to perform a process for evaluating a cardiac pumping function, the medium comprising instructions for:

• receiving metric information from a pulse oximeter waveform as input to a computer for calculating the rate of rise of the pulse oximeter waveform per unit time;
• expressing the rate of rise of the pulse oximeter waveform mathematically as a second derivative;
• and
• comparing a maximum value of the second derivative to a previously calculated value of the second derivative to determine the state of the cardiac pumping function.

A method for measuring changes of an amplitude “A” in a blood flow waveform of a patient to determine a blood flow value which comprises the steps of.

• Dividing the time interval of the blood flow waveform into a pluraliy of consecutive time segments Δt, wherein each time segment Δt of the waveform has a respective blood flow amplitude A and a respective location in the blood flow waveform;
• Determine a change in blood amplitude Δt between adjacent time segment Δt of the blood flow waveform;
• and
• Comparing the change of Δt between a downstream time segment Δt and its adjacent upstream time segment Δt at a redetermined location in the blood flow waveform to establish the blood flow value.