Common artifacts of pulmonary artery and pulmonary artery wedge pressures: Recognition and interpretation

Bedside measurement of pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary artery wedge pressure has an important role in the management of critically ill patients. Unfortunately, waveform abnormalities and artifacts commonly distort numeric values and lead to incorrect therapeutic decisions. The clinical impact of these artifacts is magnified by the digital pressure displays used in most intensive care units. We present here an atlas and an analysis of the artifacts that commonly occur. Use of analog rather than digital pulmonary artery wedge pressure data, when combined with an understanding of the physiological characteristics of patients, can prevent critical errors in patient management.