![]() Elevated levels of PCWP might indicate severe left ventricular failure or severe mitral stenosis. The normal pulmonary capillary wedge pressure is between 4 to 12 mmHg. The tip of the catheter lies in the main pulmonary artery, where the balloon can be inflated for measurement of the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. In most cases, the PCWP is also an estimate of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Once in the right ventricle, the catheter is advanced to the right ventricular outflow tract, then to the pulmonary artery after crossing the pulmonic valve. From the right atrium, the catheter is advanced through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. The internal jugular vein is the preferred access. To measure the PCWP, a catheter is inserted through a central vein (either femoral, subclavian, or internal jugular) and advanced into the superior or inferior vena cava to reach the right atrium. Nonetheless, RHC remains a vital tool in the diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and management of patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH) and selected heart failure patients. Though employed widely in the past, the failure of multiple studies to show any benefit of RHC in patients with advanced heart failure or cardiogenic shock has decreased its utility in everyday practice. This was described initially in the eighteenth century, and since then, the procedure and its applications have drastically grown. Right heart catheterization (RHC) is an invasive procedure that requires expertise and close monitoring. The balloon is then inflated, which occludes the branch of the pulmonary artery and then provides a pressure reading that is equivalent to the pressure of the left atrium. It is measured by inserting a balloon-tipped, multi-lumen catheter (Swan-Ganz catheter) into a central vein and advancing the catheter into a branch of the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) is frequently used to assess left ventricular filling, represent left atrial pressure, and assess mitral valve function. Explain the importance of collaboration and communication among the interprofessional team to ensure the appropriate selection of candidates to measure pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and to improve outcomes of patients undergoing this procedure.Outline the most common adverse events associated with right heart catheterization.Identify the indications for checking pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.Review the pathophysiology of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.This activity outlines and reviews the role of the interprofessional team in evaluating and treating patients who undergo right heart catheterization for assessment of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Right heart catheterization remains a vital tool in the diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and management of patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH) and selected heart failure patients. ![]() ![]()
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