The pulmonary artery catheter: a critical reappraisal

• Published in: Cardiology clinics Vol. 31; no. 4; p. 545
• Main Authors: Gidwani, Umesh K, Mohanty, Bibhu, Chatterjee, Kanu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Acute Coronary Syndrome - diagnosis; Acute Coronary Syndrome - physiopathology; Cardiac Output - physiology; Catheterization, Swan-Ganz - methods; Catheterization, Swan-Ganz - trends; Chronic Disease; Electrocardiography; Equipment Design; Heart Failure, Systolic - diagnosis; Heart Failure, Systolic - physiopathology; Heart Transplantation; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - diagnosis; Hypertension, Pulmonary - physiopathology; Mitral Valve Insufficiency - diagnosis; Mitral Valve Insufficiency - etiology; Mitral Valve Insufficiency - physiopathology; Myocardial Infarction - diagnosis; Myocardial Infarction - physiopathology; Pulmonary Artery - physiology; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure - physiology; Shock - diagnosis; Shock - physiopathology; Ventricular Function - physiology; Ventricular Pressure - physiology; Ventricular Septal Rupture - diagnosis; Ventricular Septal Rupture - etiology; Ventricular Septal Rupture - physiopathology; Cardiac critical care; Swan-Ganz catheter; Pulmonary artery catheter
• ISSN: 1558-2264
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ccl.2013.07.008

Balloon floatation pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) have been used for hemodynamic monitoring in cardiac, medical, and surgical intensive care units since the 1970s. With the availability of newer noninvasive diagnostic modalities, particularly echocardiography, the frequency of diagnostic pulmonary artery catheterization has declined. In this review, the evolution of PACs, the results of nonrandomized and randomized studies in various clinical conditions, the uses and abuses of bedside hemodynamic monitoring, and current indications for pulmonary artery catheterization are discussed.