ABSTRACT
Table 76.2 lists the equipment needed for insertion of a PA catheter. The clinician, gowned and gloved, prepares the skin overlying the area of insertion with antiseptic solution. Next, a wide area is draped to minimize the chance of catheter contamination. The PA catheter is nearly always introduced through a sheath previously inserted in a central vein. Sheaths can also be inserted via the basilic vein. In anaesthetic practice, the right internal jugular vein is most popular. The method for insertion of the introducer/sheath apparatus into the right internal jugular vein is identical to that discussed in Chapter 75, except that the dilator is inserted through the sheath/introducer before advancing the entire unit (dilator/introducer) over the J-wire into the vein (Figure 76.2). Pull the wire and dilator out together to create a closed system, reducing the risk of air embolization.
