EDUBRIEFS in CCTC




Differentiating the Right Ventricle and Pulmonary Artery Waveforms
 

I think that the tip of my pulmonary artery catheter is displaying a Right Ventricular waveform.  What clues would help validate a right ventricular tracing?
TIP:  Obtain a pulmonary artery tracing at the beginning of each shift, to use as a reference for comparison of any future waveform changes.
  • A right ventricle waveform will appear taller than the previous pulmonary artery tracing (if measured on the same scale).
  • If the new waveform has a systolic pressure that is the same as previous pulmonary artery systolic recordings, but now has a much lower diastolic pressure, the new waveform is most likely right ventricle.
  • If the new waveform has a systolic pressure that is the same as the previous pulmonary artery systolic readings, but the diastolic pressure on the new waveform is similar to the right atrial diastolic pressure, the catheter tip is likely in the right ventricle.
  • Compare the new waveform to the baseline pulmonary artery waveform.....if the rise in the new waveform is closer to the QRS than the rise in the pulmonary artery waveform, the new waveform is probably right ventricle.
  • A waveform change accompanied by new ventricular ectopic beats suggests that the tip of the catheter might be in the right ventricle.
Show me the contrast between Right Ventricle and Pulmonary Artery Waveforms.
Brenda Morgan
Clinical Educator, CCTC
September, 1999
Reviewd May 12, 2001
 

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Last Updated March 31, 2009 | © 2007, LHSC, London Ontario Canada