Lobar pulmonary hemorrhage. An unusual complication of Swan-Ganz catheterization
J. P. Connors, J. G. Sandza, R. C. Shaw, G. A. Wolff and J. A. Lombardo
Massive lobar pulmonary hemorrhage related to Swan-Ganz catheterization
represents a catastrophic complication that, to our knowledge, has received
little attention in the literature. Our experience with two recent cases
emphasizes the life-threatening nature of such bleeding as well as the
potential for patient salvage after urgent resectional therapy. A spectrum
of pulmonary vascular injuries is incurred after the insertion of a
balloon-tipped catheter, and there are therapeutic approaches for each. The
anticoagulation associated with cardiac surgical procedures prompts us to
suggest that the technique of insertion and the use of the Swan-Ganz
catheter in these patients be modified to avoid this complication.
