| Problem: In the United States approximately 395,000 coronary artery bypass procedures are performed annually. Traditionally, the post-operative management of the coronary artery bypass grafted patient has included the use of a pulmonary artery catheter. Recent literature regarding the pulmonary artery catheter has vehemently demanded that clinicians reconsider the use of this technology, citing that it provides no benefit in morbidity or mortality and therefore should not be used as a hemodynamic monitoring tool. Methods: Reviewing literature available through online resources at Weill Cornell Medical College provided a comprehensive collection of studies involving the pulmonary artery catheter. The review was limited to studies published in the United States. Results: The results showed a series of studies that lacked randomization, included inadequate sample size and poor selection of patient populations. Conclusions: The pulmonary artery catheter should not be abandoned as a monitoring tool in the coronary artery bypass patient until further randomized controlled trials can be completed. |
