Arterial Catheter

ARTERIAL CATHETER

Arterial Catheters are used to continuously monitor blood pressure, to titrate vasoactive agents, and to obtain serial blood gases or other laboratory specimens in the critically ill patient

Conditions that require an arterial catheter include acute hypotension or hypertension, hemodynamic instability, cardiac arrest, hemorrhage, shock, infusion of vasoactive medications, etc.

The location of the arterial catheter depends on the condition of the arterial vessels.

Several potential complications associated with arterial pressure monitoring include infection at insertion site, clot formation in the catheter leading to arterial embolization, the catheter can cause vessel perforation resulting in extravasation of blood and flush solution into tissues, and the extremity can develop circulatory or neurologic impairment.

Instruct the patient and family to report any warmth, redness, pain, or wet feeling at the insertion site at any time, including after catheter removal.

SWAN GANZ CATHETER

Used to determine hemodynamic status in critically ill patients.

Provides information about right and left sided intracardiac pressures and cardiac output.

Used in the critical care area and in operating room for CV surgeries.

Placed by physician.

Used to guide therapeutic interventions including administration of fluids and diuretics and titration of vasoactive and inotropic medications.

Placed by inserting a PA catheter introducer in the subclavian or jugular vein, the introducer has a port for IV fluids and once PA catheter is no longer needed can use introducer as IV access.

The distal lumen port is used to