DO PULMONARY-ARTERY CATHETERS IMPROVE PATIENT OUTCOME - NO

Although pulmonary artery catheters provide physiologic information pr eviously unobtainable by other means, their effect on patient outcome remains questionable. Risks associated with their use, the inherent in accuracy of the data collected, problems with general interpretation o f data, and the potential for ineffective, inappropriate, and injuriou s interventions based on data provided by pulmonary artery catheteriza tion make it an unproven therapy when applied to large patient groups. The notion that pulmonary artery catheterization does not improve pat ient outcome has recently been supported by literature reviews, clinic al investigations, and surveys of patient outcome.