Is the pulmonary artery catheter misused? A European view

To review the problems associated with pulmonary artery catheter use in the intensive care unit; to discuss the need for clinical trials to assess its benefits; and to present original data on the use of the pulmonary artery catheter in European countries.

Selected relevant articles from the literature and data from a recent multicenter European study.

It has recently been suggested that pulmonary artery catheter use increases mortality. As a result, some have recommended placing a moratorium on pulmonary catheter use or suggested conducting large multicenter trials to assess the positive and negative effects of pulmonary catheter use. Although there is limited evidence showing an improved outcome with pulmonary artery catheter use, many leaders in intensive care medicine feel that the pulmonary catheter is a useful tool, when used correctly. We believe that misuse of the pulmonary artery catheter is common. The incidence of complications is low and, with improved training of insertion techniques, the frequency of complication would decrease further. The pulmonary artery catheter is a monitoring tool and, as such, is only as good as the interpretation of the data it generates. Clinical trials on such an accepted technique are difficult to conduct and their cost/benefit ratio is debatable.

A moratorium on pulmonary artery catheter use is not necessary and clinical trials in heterogeneous ICU populations are not warranted. Improved training in the insertion, interpretation, and implementation of the pulmonary artery catheter and the data it generates is required. As an alternative to expensive clinical trials on the pulmonary artery catheter, we propose that our limited financial resources for clinical investigation be invested in the development of innovative techniques that may reduce the need for pulmonary artery catheter in the future.