Invasive hemodynamic monitoring in critically ill pregnant patients: role of Swan-Ganz catheterization

Pulmonary artery flow-directed (Swan-Ganz [SG]) catheters are widely accepted as an integral part of the modern management of critically ill patients. Their use permits rational therapeutic decisions to be made on the basis of continuously evolving indices of ventricular function. The information which may be derived from these monitors and the complications associated with their use are outlined. The related reports in the obstetric literature and the authors' 3-year experience are discussed. It is concluded that SG catheterization can be of value in the hemodynamically unstable parturient patient.