[Serious mechanical complications associated with pulmonary artery catheters in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery].
OBJECTIVE
Although the use of pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) in managing critical patients is a subject of debate, they continue to be inserted in many cases and possible complications should be taken into account. Our objective was to review the serious or potentially serious complications associated with PACs in our hospital in the past 15 years.


METHODS
This was a retrospective study of seious mechanical complications of PAC use in patients who underwent vascular, cardiac, and thoracic surgery.


RESULTS
The study included the records 7540 patients; 9 cases of serious complications were detected. These complications included 5 cases of pulmonary artery rupture (3 of which resulted in death), 1 perforated internal mammary vein, 1 knotted catheter, 1 bent one, and 1 case of a PAC becoming trapped in the surgical suture.


CONCLUSIONS
The 0.12% incidence of complications is lower than rates found in the literature. Although these complications are rare, it is necessary to take precautions against their unexcepted appearance by carefully selecting the patients in whom PACs are placed and by paying special attention to the characteristic clinical and radiological signs of complications.
Tenaa
B
B
Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Clínico y Provincial, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona. btena@clinic.ub.es
Gomar
C
C
Roux
C
C
Fontanals
J
J
Jiménez
M J
MJ
Rovira
I
I
Fita
G
G
Matute
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000401:mortality; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000209:etiology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007601:Jugular Veins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012421:Rupture / Q000209:etiology; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures; D014680:Veins / Q000293:injuries