Pulmonary artery catheter in the intensive care unit

Abstract

After its initial description by Swan and Ganz more than 30 years ago (1), the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) technique rapidly became more and more popular in the following years. To date, the PAC remains the monitoring tool that enables more extensive hemodynamic assessment of the critically ill. Furthermore, its use has stimulated the comprehension of physiologic concepts of hemodynamics and tissue oxygenation in various situations of acute circulatory failure. After years of debate about its adverse effects, recent largescale studies clearly demonstrate that the use of the PAC does not alter the outcome of critically ill patients. © 2008 Springer-Verlag London.