A Swan-Ganz catheter is placed into:

• A. A vein to the pulmonary artery with monitoring of PA pressure and wedge pressure
• B. An artery for systemic arterial pressure
• C. The trachea to assist breathing
• D. The stomach for nutrient delivery

Answer: (A)

A Swan-Ganz catheter is a pulmonary artery catheter used for detailed hemodynamic monitoring. It is inserted through a central vein and advanced through the right atrium and right ventricle into a branch of the pulmonary artery. From there, it can measure pulmonary artery pressures and, when wedged, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, which reflects left atrial pressure and left-sided filling pressures. This setup helps assess left heart function, preload, and fluid status in critically ill patients. It is not placed in an artery, trachea, or stomach, so those locations and purposes do not apply to this device.