A pulmonary artery catheter does not affect the intravascular electrocardiogram from the air aspiration introducer...

The air aspiration introducer sheath allows the use of a pulmonary artery (PA) catheter for monitoring during sitting neurosurgical procedures while providing a means of air aspiration that is more efficient than aspiration from the proximal and distal ports of the PA catheter alone. To place the 25-cm long introducer sheath safely into the right atrium, the PA catheter should be positioned first and used as a guide for the introducer sheath, which is then advanced into the atrium and positioned by observation of the intravascular electrocardiogram (IVECG). Placement of the introducer sheath with the IVECG has been described previously without a PA catheter in the lumen of the introducer sheath. In this study, performed in dogs, we have demonstrated that the presence of a PA catheter in the lumen of the introducer sheath does not affect the IVECG recorded from the introducer sheath.