DR Medhat MRCP

اليخلو منها امتحان : catheterization Cardiac
- Catheters are introduced into venous & arterial systems and advanced to right & left
sides of the heart respectively allowing the following :
1) Visualization of the cardiac chambers ,vessels & coronaries.
2) Pressure measurement in the cardiac chambers & major vessels.
3) Sampling & measurement of O2 saturation allowing identification of shunts &
calculation of cardiac output.
Right heart catheterization (Swan Ganz catheter) :
- Catheter is introduced into venous system → to right side of the heart →
pulmonary artery → branch of pulmonary artery that lead to the lung.
- It is most commonly used to assess right atrial (RA), right ventricular (RV), and
pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (=
pulmonary capillary wedge pressure).
What is pulmonary wedge pressure (PWP) & what is its significance :
- Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure is measured by inserting a balloon-tipped,
multilumen Swan-Ganz cathter into a peripheral vein which is then advanced into the
right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery and then a branch of the pulmonary
artery.
- There is a small balloon just behind the tip of the catheter, which is inflated with air.
- There are two openings in the catheter:
o One distal to the balloon and
o One several centimetres proximal to the balloon.
- These can be connected to pressure transducers, or used to measure the oxygen
saturations of blood.
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