[Valve lesions of the right heart associated with use of indwelling pulmonary artery catheters (author's transl)]. / Klappenschäden des rechten Herzens nach Anwendung von Pulmonalarterienverweilkathetern.

Pulmonary artery chatheterisation by means of flow-directed balloon-tipped catheters has proved a valuable aid in assessing haemodynamic parameters of critically ill patients. Serious complications are reported to be uncommon. On postmortem examination of 8 patients, in whom flow-directed balloon-tipped catheters were employed, and whose catheters were dissected in situ, there were 5 instances of non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) and 4 of focal valvular bleeding. This is a much more frequent incidence of valvular lesions than has been reported previously. The pathogensis of NBTE is briefly disicussed, and attention is drawn to potential long-term complications. We suppose that valvular diseases of the right side of the heart will gain in significance due to the increasing use of flow-directed balloon-tipped pulmonary artery catheters.