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Pulmonary arteriography is conducted to determine if there are any obstructions in the arteries that carry blood to the lungs. Read more about the technique used, indications & risks associated.

What is a Pulmonary Arteriography?

Pulmonary arteriography is a medical procedure done to determine if there are any obstructions in the arteries that carry blood to the lungs. Pulmonary arteriography is also referred to as pulmonary angiogram or angiogram of the lungs.

Technique Used

In this technique, a dye is inserted into the vein that leads to the lungs, enabling the doctor to deduce how quickly the blood reaches the lungs and if there are any obstructions to the flow of blood. Below is a step by step process of how a pulmonary arteriography is done.

• Step 1: The patient is helped to relax using a sedative.
• Step 2: The part of the body where the dye is to be inserted is cleaned.
• Step 3: A local anesthetic is applied on that area (usually the arm or the groin).
• Step 4: A catheter is inserted into the vein in that area by a radiologist in such a way that it reaches the arteries of the lung.
• Step 5: A dye is injected into the catheter, in order to see exactly how the blood flows to the lungs.
• Step 6: The flow of blood is observed by taking X-rays of the lung, which shows the areas darkened by the dye.
• Step 7: Once the X-rays are taken, the needle and catheter are removed.
• Step 8: The flow of blood from the site of injection is managed by applying pressure on the site for between 20 and 45 minutes after the procedure.
• Step 9: Once the bleeding stops, the site is bandaged and the patient must not move their legs for about 6 hours after this.

Generally, the procedure requires an overnight stay at the hospital, where the site as well as the blood pressure and heart rate is monitored.

Indications

When the flow of blood is not normal and if the X-rays indicate a blockage or a low supply of blood to the lungs, it may indicate the following.

• Aneurysms of the blood vessels of the lungs
• A blood clot
• A tumor
• Blood vessel that is narrow
• Pulmonary hypertension

Risks Associated

Below are some of the mild and severe risks associated with pulmonary arteriography.

Mild risks associated with pulmonary arteriography

• Hematoma (blood collected at the site of injection)
• Allergy to the dye used
• Nerve damage at the site of injection
• Bleeding at the site of injection

Severe risks associated with pulmonary arteriography

• Kidney damage
• Blood clot that travels towards the lungs (embolism), which results in more blockage
• A heart attack or a stroke
• Cardiac arrhythmias

Pulmonary arteriography although not very painful is a risky procedure. However, most doctors feel that the benefits of the procedure far outweigh the risks associated with it.

References

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003813.htm
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8815833

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