Swan-Ganz - right heart catheterization

The test can be done while you are in bed in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital. It can also be done in special procedure areas such as a cardiac catheterization laboratory. Before the test starts, you may be given medicine (sedative) to help you relax. You will lie on a padded table. Your doctor (most often a…

You should not eat or drink anything for 8 hours before the test starts (your cardiologist may give you different directions). You may need to stay in the hospital the night before the test. Otherwise, you will check in to the hospital the morning of the test. In some cases, this procedure may be done after you have…

You may be given medicine to help you relax before the procedure. You will be awake and able to follow instructions during the test. You may feel some discomfort when the IV is placed into your arm. You may also feel some pressure at the site when the catheter is inserted. In people who are critically ill, the…

The procedure is done to evaluate how the blood moves (circulates) in people who have: Abnormal pressures in the heart arteries Burns Congenital heart disease Heart failure Kidney disease Leaky heart valves Lung problems Shock (very low blood pressure) It may also be done to monitor for complications of a heart attack…

Normal results for this test are: Cardiac index is 2.8 to 4.2 liters per minute per square meter (of body surface area) Pulmonary artery systolic pressure is 17 to 32 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) Pulmonary artery mean pressure is 9 to 19 mm Hg Pulmonary diastolic pressure is 4 to 13 mm Hg Pulmonary capillary wedge…

Abnormal results may be due to: Blood flow problems, such as heart failure or shock Heart valve disease Lung disease Structural problems with the heart, such as a shunt from an atrial or ventricular septal defect

Risks of the procedure include: Bruising around the area where the catheter was inserted Injury to the vein Puncture to the lung if the neck or chest veins are used, causing lung collapse ( pneumothorax ) Very rare complications include: Cardiac arrhythmias requiring treatment Cardiac tamponade Embolism caused by…

Kern MJ, Seto AH, Hermann J. Invasive hemodynamic diagnosis of cardiac disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine . 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 22. Kapur NK, Sorajja P. Invasive hemodynamics. In:…