Central venous catheter use in low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting.
BACKGROUND
To assess the impact of central venous pressure catheter monitoring in low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), we compared the hospital course of patients undergoing CABG with central venous pressure catheter monitoring with that of similar patients undergoing CABG with pulmonary artery catheter monitoring.


METHODS
All isolated primary CABG procedures (n = 312) performed between April 22 and October 31, 1996, were evaluated, and 194 patients meeting six central venous pressure catheter use criteria were identified. Of these 194 patients, 133 (68%) underwent CABG with central venous pressure catheter monitoring, and 61 (32%) had pulmonary artery catheter monitoring owing to surgeon or anesthesiologist preference.


RESULTS
In-hospital mortality was similar. A trend toward increased overall complications was seen in the pulmonary artery catheter group. The total volume infused in the first 12 hours, the 24-hour weight gain, and the intubation time were significantly greater in the pulmonary artery catheter group. Increases in intensive care unit length of stay and in total hospital charges trended toward statistical significance in the pulmonary artery catheter group.


CONCLUSIONS
Pulmonary artery catheter use in low-risk patients undergoing CABG was associated with greater weight gain and longer intubation time and may be associated with increased morbidity and utilization of hospital resources.
Stewart
R D
RD
Department of Anesthesia, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Psyhojos
T
T
Lahey
S J
SJ
Levitsky
S
S
Campos
C T
CT
D000368:Aged; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002496:Central Venous Pressure; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies