Invasive hemodynamic monitoring in obstetrics and gynecology

Abstract

Indications for invasive hemodynamic monitoring in obstetrics and gynecology are much the same as in any other area of medicine and surgery. The clinical decision of whether to employ monitoring cannot be made according to absolute criteria but must be made on an individual basis. Obviously, not every patient will benefit from or need invasive hemodynamic monitoring; proper patient selection is important, as is the availability of skilled physicians, nurses, and ancillary support personnel. The information collected at the patient's bedside can be used to both guide and evaluate therapeutic maneuvers. Timely adjustment and titration of therapeutic maneuvers and treatments would logically have a significant impact on the outcome of a critical illness or on patients on the verge of cardiac or respiratory decompensation. Nonetheless, a randomized prospective study of the efficacy of the pulmonary artery catheter in obstetrics and gynecology does not currently exist, nor is such a study likely with the already widely accepted use of these technologies.