 |
|
Pulmonary Artery Catheter Effectiveness in Congestive Heart Failure
|
|
| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. |
|
|
|
To the Editor: In the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) trial, Dr Stevenson and colleagues1 showed that the addition of the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) to "clinical assessment alone" in the treatment of decompensated heart failure did not affect overall mortality and hospitalization. This finding of no effect could have been explained in part by use of continuous central venous pressure (CVP) monitoring via indwelling central venous lines other than PACs among participants randomized to receive therapy guided by clinical assessment alone. In the absence of pulmonary hypertension or profound right ventricular dysfunction, CVP provides a reasonable estimation of left ventricular filling characteristics.2-3 Serial measurements of CVP may provide useful information about response to treatment of volume overload.4
It would be helpful for the authors to describe the use of central lines and CVP monitoring among participants in each study group, including use . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Christine Won, MD
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, Calif
Ware G. Kuschner, MD
ware.kuschnermd@med.va.gov
Medical Service, Pulmonary Section
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Palo Alto Health Care System
Palo Alto, Calif
RELATED ARTICLES
Pulmonary Artery Catheter Effectiveness in Congestive Heart Failure—Reply
Lynne W. Stevenson, Christopher M. O’Connor, and Robert M. Califf
JAMA. 2006;295(10):1121-1122.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness: The ESCAPE Trial
The ESCAPE Investigators and ESCAPE Study Coordinators*
JAMA. 2005;294(13):1625-1633.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
|
