Abstract
The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in critically-ill patients during bedside right-sided heart catheterization with a flow-directed balloon-tipped catheter was determined. Twenty-nine of 60 catheterizations (48 percent) were associated with premature ventricular contractions and 20 (33 percent) were associated with ventricular tachycardia. Two patients required antiarrhythmic therapy or a precordial thump to convert ventricular tachycardia. One patient developed ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation and died. Serious catheter-induced arrhythmias, including sustained ventricular tachycardia, may occur during Swan-Ganz catheterization of the critically ill.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 413-415 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | CHEST |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs |
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State | Published - 1981 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine