Where does the catheter travel during a right heart catheterization?

Where does the catheter travel during a right heart catheterization?

• A. femoral vein → IVC → right atrium → tricuspid valve → right ventricle → pulmonic valve → pulmonary artery
• B. femoral artery → aorta → left ventricle
• C. radial vein → superior vena cava → right atrium
• D. carotid artery → aorta → coronary arteries

Answer: (A)

Right heart catheterization uses a venous approach to thread a catheter through the right heart into the pulmonary circulation. After entering via a femoral vein, the catheter advances up the inferior vena cava into the right atrium, passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, moves through the pulmonic valve into the pulmonary artery, and can be wedged in a small branch to estimate left-sided pressures. This path is specifically designed to measure pressures on the right side of the heart and in the pulmonary circulation. Arterial routes, such as going from the carotid or femoral artery to the aorta and left heart structures, are for left heart catheterization and are not used for a typical right heart study. Similarly, a route starting in a peripheral vein like the radial vein would lead to the right atrium but does not reach the right ventricle and beyond in the standard right heart assessment.

Right heart catheterization uses a venous approach to thread a catheter through the right heart into the pulmonary circulation. After entering via a femoral vein, the catheter advances up the inferior vena cava into the right atrium, passes through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle, moves through the pulmonic valve into the pulmonary artery, and can be wedged in a small branch to estimate left-sided pressures. This path is specifically designed to measure pressures on the right side of the heart and in the pulmonary circulation. Arterial routes, such as going from the carotid or femoral artery to the aorta and left heart structures, are for left heart catheterization and are not used for a typical right heart study. Similarly, a route starting in a peripheral vein like the radial vein would lead to the right atrium but does not reach the right ventricle and beyond in the standard right heart assessment.