PULMONARY WEDGE CATHETERIZATION DURING POSITIVE END-EXPIRATORY PRESSURE VENTILATION IN DOG

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 46  (6) , 385-390
Abstract
In 10 supine anesthetized dogs, recordings of left atrial (LA) and pulmonary-artery wedge (PW) pressures were simultaneously obtained at several levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ventilation with the thorax either open or closed. Lateral roentgenograms were taken to determine the relative vertical positions of the LA and PW catheter tips. When the wedge catheter tip was vertically above the left atrial catheter tip, mean PW followed airway pressure at PEEP of more than 5 cm H2O. For PEEP 5 cm H2O or less, and for PW catheter tip positions vertically below the LA catheter tip at all levels of PEEP, mean wedge catheter pressure was close to left atrial pressure. LA pressure can best be estimated by PW catheter positions vertically below the left atrium during positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation.