The complexity and severity of the diagnosis DCO are highlighted by many studies suggesting that nurses need to carefully screen patients for signs and symptoms of DCO in clinical practice. One study found that risk for decreased cardiac output (RDCO) determined by acute myocardial infarction was one of the 25 diagnoses identified in 30 patients’ postcardiac catheterizations (Lima et al. 2006). This study was performed based on the NANDA International taxonomy,even though RDCO is not listed as a nursing diagnosis by that classification system. Another recently developed survey described the process of assessing and validating the concept of RDCO according to Walker and Avant’smodel (Santos, 2006).