PULMONOLOGY AND RESPIRATORY MEDICINE Review Article

Citation: Stefanie Keymel and Stephan Steiner. “Swan-Ganz Pulmonary Artery Catheterization–Safe But Not Harmless”. EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine 2.1 (2016): 52-56. Introduction Swan-Ganz catheter is widely used for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension as well as hemo-dynamic monitoring in intensive care medicine or perioperative management since its inauguration in 1970. Complications can be related to the venous access site, to the catheterization, to stay of the catheter or to the removal of the catheter (Table 1). In patients with pulmonary hypertension defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 25 mmHg or higher, fatal complications occur in less than 0.06% [1]. Despite the fact, that these seems to be a very low rate, it should be mentioned, that all of the examinations were done elective and the patients were classified to be hemodynamically stable before the procedure [1]. In contrast, complication rates of serious events are reported in up to 4.4% in critical ill patients [2-4].