Ventricular arrhythmias during insertion and removal of pulmonary artery catheters.

The incidence and significance of the development of ventricular arrhythmias during insertion and removal of pulmonary artery monitoring catheters were determined in stable postcardiac surgical patients. Insertion of 173 (69 percent) of 250 catheters was associated with ventricular arrhythmias and removal in 158 (63 percent) of these catheters (p greater than 0.05). All arrhythmias resolved spontaneously. Patients who underwent valve replacement showed significantly fewer arrhythmias during withdrawal than those who underwent a coronary artery bypass operation (p less than 0.025). Factors significantly influencing the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias during removal were increased postoperative CK-MB levels (p less than 0.025) and cardiac index (p less than 0.025).