Catheter-induced pulmonary artery hemorrhage. Diagnosis and management in cardiac operations.

Three case reports describing catheter-induced pulmonary artery hemorrhage in patients having cardiac operations are presented--a 0.2% incidence of this complication. One patient exsanguinated and died, another survived after undergoing an emergency lobectomy, and the third escaped without surgical intervention. As a result of this experience and the recommendations in the literature, we have developed and describe herein a rational therapy for this highly lethal complication.