During the introduction of a pulmonary artery catheter the waveform seen in the figure is visible on the monitor.This waveform represents which of the following locations?

A) Right atrium
B) Right ventricle
C) Pulmonary artery
D) Pulmonary capillary

Question

During the introduction of a pulmonary artery catheter the waveform seen in the figure is visible on the monitor.This waveform represents which of the following locations?

A) Right atrium 
B) Right ventricle 
C) Pulmonary artery 
D) Pulmonary capillary

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This figure shows a pressure range of 2-6 mm Hg which is consistent with the right atrium.It also shows the characteristic respiratory fluctuations.The systolic pressure for the right ventricle is as high as 25 mm Hg,which is not seen in the figure.The systolic and diastolic ranges for pulmonary artery pressure are 15-35 and 5-15 mm Hg,respectively.This is higher than what is shown in the figure.Pulmonary capillary pressure when wedged is usually between 5 and 12 mm Hg,which is somewhat higher than what is shown in the figure.

During the Introduction of a Pulmonary Artery Catheter the Waveform