title: Pulmonary Artery Catheter Placement Using Transesophageal Echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the feasibility of pulmonary artery catheter placement using transesophageal echocardiography inclusive of a description of the technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, proof-of-concept study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension scheduled for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary artery catheters were placed in 20 patients solely by transesophageal echocardiographic guidance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Placement of the pulmonary artery catheter in the pulmonary artery with transesophageal echocardiography guidance in fewer than 10 minutes was considered successful placement. The time to placement was measured from advancement of the pulmonary artery catheter in the superior vena cava (20 cm) to a final location at the junction of the right pulmonary artery and main pulmonary artery. All 20 pulmonary artery catheters were placed successfully using transesophageal echocardiography guidance and the median time to placement was 43 seconds. In 9 of the 20 patients (45%), the catheter was placed successfully on the first attempt without any adjustments. However, in 9 others (45%), the catheter required manipulation under transesophageal echocardiography vision. In 3 patients (15%), the pulmonary artery catheter was observed to be coiled in the right atrium and in 1 instance (5%) manipulation of the catheter in the right ventricle was required to enter the outflow tract.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transesophageal echocardiography is a viable adjunctive method to conventional pressure waveform placement of pulmonary artery catheters in potentially difficult patients.
authors.affiliation: Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA. Electronic address: bcronin@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.affiliation: Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.affiliation: Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods
keywords: chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary artery catheter; pulmonary thromboendarterectomy; transesophageal echocardiography