Complications of hemodynamic monitoring

The uses of the pulmonary artery catheter have been expanded from its origi nal use, helping to assess the cardiac output and left ventricular filling pressure of patients with cardiac disease, to include the management of pat ients with trauma, septic shock, respiratory failure, and those undergoing high-risk surgeries. Although more than 1 million pulmonary artery catheter s are inserted each year in the United States, clear evidence establishing that they improve outcome remains hard to find. This article discusses the complications of invasive hemodynamic montioring.