title: [Semi-invasive measurement of pulmonary pressure as a method of evaluating cardiac function in hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Experience at Charité Hospital for more than 20 years].
abstract: Since 1969, microcatheterization (floating catheterization) of the pulmonary artery has systematically been used at the Hospital Charité in Berlin for measuring (indirectly) the left ventricular filling pressure. That seemed especially be justified in patients in whom conventional catheterization was not needed. Noninvasive techniques had not been available. Since then, our interest was focused on the hypertensive heart, earlier under the aspect of early discovering and influencing heart insufficiency, later concerning a developing myocardial ischemia, in relationship to left ventricular hypertrophy. At the Charité more than 1,000 microcatheterizations in more than 400 hypertensive cases have been performed, mostly in combination with nuclear-cardiological measurements. The rate of complications was found minimal. Thus, cardiac function could be characterized hemodynamically, at rest and even under ergometric load. Special programmes served the acute application of drugs for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons. In the meantime a longterm study could also be finished by using hemodynamic measurements, starting with hygienic means and followed by a antihypertensive basis therapy, in newly detected hypertensives. That included repeated catheterizations of the pulmonary artery.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin des Bereiches Medizin (Charité) der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frille
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hujer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tittmann
mesh_terms: D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
vernacular_title: Semiinvasive Pulmonalisdruckmessung als Methode zur Beurteilung der Herzfunktion bei Hypertonie und ischämischer Herzkrankheit. Erfahrungen an der Charité seit mehr als 20 Jahren.