Swan ganz catheter procedure is a process when a catheter which is a thin tube is passed into the heart's right side to monitor the flow of blood as well as the functions of the heart. This is done to check the heart condition of a person who is seriously ill. This procedure is also known as Catheterization - right heart or right heart catheterization. The swan ganz catheter procedure is conducted with the patient in the intensive care unit of the hospital or also in a specialized cardiac laboratory for catheterization processes.
Prior to starting the procedure the patient is administered a sedative which is mild enough to make him or her relax. The groin or neck area is cleaned as the catheter will be inserted through an incision made here, and a localized anesthetic will be administered. A catheter will be inserted through this incision into the vein and moved into the upper chamber of the person's heart which is the right atrium. The doctor will monitor the movement of the catheter with the help of images on the x-ray. The catheter would then weave its way through two valves of the heart which are the pulmonary valve and the tricuspid valve and finally into the person's pulmonary artery. Once this is done the pressure of the blood is measured in the pulmonary artery. The patient's heart rhythm is constantly monitored on an electrocardiogram during the procedure.
A Swan ganz catheter procedure note has to be filled prior to the procedure and also after it. This contains the signed consent of the patient and indicates the risks as well as the benefits involved in detail. A complete report on the procedure is entered into this note in detail stating the time it was started and completed and what the complications were during this procedure, if any. There will be a note made of any blood loss. In case there was the drainage of any fluid involved and a paracentesis procedure done the amount of fluid removed noted. Paracentesis is performed to drain fluid from any body cavity by inserting a needle into it with a catheter attached to it. The fluid is drained out slowly as there could be a blood pressure drop if this is done too fast.
Swan ganz catheter pressures show pulmonary artery and the right side of the heart pressures to evaluate the condition of the heart and to see whether there is a heart failure because of edema. This could be caused by a leak in the pulmonary capillaries or because of a weak heart. Symptoms are usually respiratory distress.
The swan ganz catheter procedure has to be undertaken by a qualified doctor who knows the risks involved and decides whether it is better for the patient to undergo this procedure and face the risks involved or not.