Pulmonary Artery Catheter Placement

Abstract

Pulmonary artery catheters can be valuable in directing therapy in select patients. These specialized catheters are placed through introducer sheaths in the internal jugular or subclavian veins, and obtain direct measurements of central venous pressure, right-sided intracardiac pressures, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, cardiac output, and mixed venous oxyhemoglobin saturation. The most common indications for their placement are the evaluation and/or management of patients with complicated myocardial infarction, unexplained or unknown volume status in shock, severe cardiogenic shock, and suspected or known pulmonary arterial hypertension.