Right heart catheterization; Catheterization - right heart

Risks of the procedure include:

• Bruising around the area where the catheter was inserted
• Injury to the vein
• Puncture to the lung if the neck or chest veins are used, causing lung collapse (pneumothorax)

Very rare complications include:

• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Cardiac tamponade
• Embolism caused by blood clots at the tip of the catheter
• Infection
• Low blood pressure

Images

Swan Ganz catheterization

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Swan Prevention

Review Date: 07/10/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Michael A. chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)