Publication at First Faculty of Medicine |
2005
Abstract
Rupture of pulmonary artery is one of the threatening complications upon introduction of Swan-Ganz catheter. The occurrence is given in the range 0.05 -0.3%.
Risk factors associated with the higher occurrence of this complication are: age above 60, females, chronic anticoagulation therapy, pulmonary hypertension and long-term use of steroids. Mortality upon pulmonary artery rupture is given at about 50%, in patients with a massive hemaptoe, as it was in our case, the survival is rare and the mortality rate is near to 100%.
Treatment can be conservative or surgical according to the severity of the lesion.