Safety of surgical pulmonary artery catheters in pediatric patients

Background: This study aims to evaluate the postoperative outcomes of surgical pulmonary artery catheters in pediatric patients and to discuss the safety of these catheters. Methods: Between January 2010 and June 2012, surgical pulmonary artery catheters were implanted in 55 patients (26 boys, 29 girls; mean age 23.7 +/- 7.1 months; range 1 to 70 months). A retrospective analysis of the patients for pathology, age, body weight, pulmonary and systemic arterial pressure, extubation time, catheter removal time, the amount of bleeding, mortality and morbidity was performed. Results: The mean body weight of the patients was 9.0 +/- 2.8 kg. All patients had preoperative pulmonary hypertension which was equal to systemic pressure. Thirty-seven patients received iloprost intravenous infusion via a pulmonary artery catheter. The mean extubation time was 24.5 +/- 16.6 hours, while the mean time for pulmonary artery catheter removal was 45.5 +/- 19.6 hours. The mean drainage following catheter removal was 23.7 +/- 14.4 mL. None of the patients required any revision due to bleeding. No pulmonary artery catheter-related complication was observed in the patients. Conclusion: Surgical pulmonary artery catheterization is a simple technique which can be used for both continuous pressure monitorization and drug infusion. We conclude that this is a safe and contributing method for an effective management of postoperative pulmonary hypertension in pediatric patients.