Shahla Siddiqui, Gurmukh Das, Saad Ahmed, Hashaam Ghafoor.
Efficiency of PA Catheters in the ICU of a tertiary care hospital.
J Pak Med Assoc Jan ;56(8):375-7.

Existing randomized controlled trials on Pulmonary Artery Catheter (PAC)-guided strategies reveal a modest risk reduction that does reach statistical significance. An observational, prospective, controlled study was carried out in the ICU of a tertiary care hospital. Incidence, indications, complication rate and outcome of Pulmonary Artery (PA) catheter over a period of 3 months was looked at, comparing cases to matched controls. Despite being a limited study, it is obvious that the cost effectiveness and outcome of patients with the PA catheter seems ambiguous. In a developing country where resources are limited, thought must be given to the risk and benefit ratio of placing this invasive monitor and use of the information provided properly justified.

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