[Complications of the use of microcatheters using Grandjean's technic in ergometry]

The method of microcatheterism was described in the now usual form first by Grandjean in 1967. It offers an appropriate information about pressures in the pulmonary circulation at rest and during stress. This report gives a comprehensive survey about the complications with this method in a time range of seven years, from 1976 until 1982, in 4901 patients. The total rate of complications was very low (0.67%). Compared with a study about complications with Swan-Ganz-catheters in similar patients from Roskamm and co-workers, we found in our investigation a lower rate of dangerous arrhythmias. We conclude that microcatheterism is a simple, and cheap method, which is poor of risks. It is suitable ideally either for screening and control investigations or for the quantification of a cardiopulmonary disease.