This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Voyce, S. J. Articles by Rippe, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Voyce, S. J. Articles by Rippe, J. M. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Pulmonary Artery Catheters: An Update

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA 01655

James M. Rippe

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA 01655

Pulmonary artery (PA) catheters are widely used in the care of the critically ill. Numerous catheter designs are available, and the list of indications for their use is con stantly expanding. Extensive physiological data are sup plied by catheters. Right atrial, right ventricular, PA, and PA wedge pressure waveforms, as well as cardiac output and several derived parameters (e.g., systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance) are easily measured. Clinical application of these data may aid in diagnosis and management of acutely ill patients. Physi cians using catheters need to be aware of the numerous complications associated with their use. Scrupulous at tention to insertion and maintenance techniques will minimize the incidence of many of these complications. The undefined risk/benefit ratio of PA catheterization has caused controversy among physicians. Prospective studies to define better the risks versus benefits of PA catheters are currently being planned. Physicians using PA catheters should recognize that the catheters have no direct therapeutic benefit and that PA catheterization should neither replace bedside clinical evaluation nor delay treatment of the patient.

Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, Vol. 5, No. 4, 175-192 (1990)
DOI: 10.1177/088506669000500403


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. D. Naylor, W. J. Sibbald, C. L. Sprung, S. P. Pinfold, J. E. Calvin, and F. B. Cerra Pulmonary Artery Catheterization: Can There Be an Integrated Strategy for Guideline Development and Research Promotion? JAMA, May 12, 1993; 269(18): 2407 - 2411. [Abstract] [PDF]