II. Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring Flashcards
The PA catheter is also known as a:
Swan-Ganz catheter
The Swan PA catheter is used as a ____ procedure to assess critically ill patients
Diagnostic
The PA catheter is most commonly inserted through the ____ vein.
Right internal jugular
The PA catheter is ultimately placed into the ____ in order to estimate____.
- Pulmonary artery
- Left ventricular, preload and functions
Capabilities of the PA catheter include:
- Measures right heart filling pressures
- Estimates left heart preload and function
- Estimates cardiac output (themodilution)
- Evaluates, heart valves, shunts and pulmonary vascular resistance
Pulmonary catheter, wedge pressure (PCWP) is correlated with ____.
Left ventricular End diastolic pressure (LVEDP)
LVEDP gives an estimation of ____.
LV preload & function
not always a direct indicator, but a reasonable estimation
4 Major indications for pulmonary arterial catheters:
- Cardiac disease.
- Pulmonary disease.
- Complex fluid management/hemodynamic instability
- Specific surgeries.
What are a few specific surgeries that are indications for PAC?
- Aortic cross clamping.
- Hepatic or heart transplantation.
- CABG
Absolute contraindications for PAC:
- Right atrial or right ventricular mass.
- Tricuspid or pulmonary stenosis.
- Mechanical tricuspid, pulmonary valve prosthesis
Relative contraindications for PAC:
- Recently placed pacemaker or defibrillator wires (w/i 6 weeks)
- Left bundle branch block (risk of complete AV block)
- Severe coagulopathy.
- Significant thrombocytopenia.
- Infection at cannulation site.
What is the most common complication of PAC insertion?
Arrhythmia
Induced right bundle branch block can cause:
Complete AV block if left bundle branch block is present
What may the PA catheter become entangled with?
Chordae Tendineae
A heparin coated catheter may be used to decrease risk of thrombosis. How long is this effective for?
Up to 72 hours
What two factors can precipitate pulmonary infarction pertaining to a PA catheter?
- Distal placement.
- Prolonged balloon inflation.
What is the mortality rate associated with pulmonary artery rupture?
41 to 70%
What are the risk factors associated with pulmonary artery rupture?
- Hypothermia.
- Old age.
- Cardio pulmonary bypass
- Pulmonary hypertension.
- Female.
- Anticoagulation.
The standard pulmonary artery catheter is what size and length?
7.5 Fr
110 cm
What is the maximum balloon volume for a PAC?
1.5cc
what is the incident of pulmonary artery rupture when placing PACs?
0.03-1.5%
What is the most common number of ports on a PA catheter?
Five
What portion of the PA catheter allows us to transduce the pressures (PA & Wedge) as the catheter is floated through the heart?
Distal lumen hub (yellow)
What portion of the PAC contains temperature wires designed to measure the temperature of PA blood?
Thermistor Connector
How far is the thermistor located from the distal end of the catheter?
Approximately 4 cm
The volume infusion port (white) is located how far from the distal tip of the catheter? Where is it situated within the heart?
- 19cm
- RV
The proximal injectate port (blue) is located how far from the distal tip of the catheter? Where is it located within the heart?
- Approximately 30 cm
- Right atrium
Which PAC port is used to estimate the CVP?
Proximal injectate port (blue) situated in the right atrium
Thin black dashes are equal to ____ cm
10
One thick, black dash is equal to ____ cm
50 cm
What are the colors for arterial, pulmonary artery, and CVP lines on the transducer?
- Arterial is red
- Pulmonary artery is yellow
- CVP is blue
all three must be flushed, zero, and labeled prior to insert
T/F: fill the balloon before entering the right ventricle.
True
T/F: always deflate the balloon before withdrawing the catheter.
True
Over what time Should the balloon be inflated?
Slowly over three seconds
T/F: If PCWP wave form is noted, continue inflating the balloon.
FALSE, adjust the catheter position
T/F: the balloon should never remain inflated once placed correctly in the pulmonary artery.
True
For what reason is the PA catheter inflated intermittently once placed in the pulmonary artery?
To check the PCWP
Steps in order to insert the pulmonary arterial catheter:
- Maintain Sterility.
- Flush all ports before insertion. (Distal to Proximal)
- Test the balloon and integrity (attach the PA and CVP pressure cables and zero)
- Connect the distal port to the transducer (this allows visualization of waveforms)
- Advance the PAC through the introducer sheath (previously placed) and into the IJV.
- At 20 cm, the distal tip should enter the right atrium, and a central Venus tracing is seen.
- The balloon is inflated with 1.5 mL of air (once in RA at 20cm; here pressure is usually less than 5 mmHg).
- The catheter is advanced to about 30 cm, a sudden increase in the systolic pressure (~25 mmHg) indicates a right ventricular location.
- entry into the pulmonary artery occurs at about 40 to 45 cm, and a sudden increase in diastolic pressure (~10mmHg) is noted (systolic remains ~25 mmHg). This increase in diastolic pressure occurs due to closure of pulmonary valve
- At about 45 to 50 cm a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure weight form is seen.
- Deflate the balloon to see the pulmonary artery tracing (waveform) re-appear.
At what depth should the distal tip enter the right atrium, creating a central venous tracing?
20cm
At what depth is the distal tip located within the right ventricle, coinciding with an increase in systolic pressure?
30cm
Entry into the pulmonary artery occurs at what depth on the PAC, coinciding with an increase in diastolic pressure?
40-45cm
At what depth should a pulmonary capillary, wedge pressure (PCWP) waveform be seen?
40-45cm
CVP pressures in the right atrium
0-6 mmHg
PCWP is normally ____ mmHg
4-12 mmHg
The final resting place of the pulmonary arterial catheter is where?
- Wedged into smaller pulmonary capillary of the pulmonary artery.
- annotate this depth.
- Deflate balloon.
- Pull back three or 4 cm (leave here in PA)
- When we want to check PCWP, re-inflate, balloon again, and advance to previously annotated depth.
- never leave balloon inflated, this will cause pulmonary infarction!
PCWP is an indirect measurement of ____.
Left Atrial Pressure
the whole point of using the PAC
What can the side port on the introducer sheath be used for?
Rapid infusion of fluids
Wedged waveform appearance:
- lack of waveform, more linear in appearance
PAC must be inserted into what West zone?
3
What can be done if the PC will not float into the right ventricle?
- This is possibly due to tricuspid regurgitation.
- Fill the balloon with 1.5 mL of normal saline and reposition the patient left side down.
What should we do if the PAC will not float into the pulmonary artery?
- This is usually due to a coiled PAC in the right ventricle or possibly pulmonary hypertension
- Withdraw the PAC and advance again, slowly and continuously, reposition the patient left side and head up.