does anyone use swans anymore?

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Call me crazy, but I have decided to retest rather than get ceu's to re-up my ccrn certification. I did ceu's the first time I renewed, but feel like studying and retesting will give me the knowledge that I want. I'm nervous about hemos however as we rarely use swans anymore. Not using that information daily has lead to me losing everything I once knew...normal values, calculations etc. A big part of the test did require use of this information to get the right answer. My question is, do other hospitals still use swans alot? How can I prepare for this portion of the test? Back when I originally tested every other patient in our unit had a swan...now, maybe one every 4 months or so. Any advice?

Yes, you did imply that.

The decline of PACs probably has more to do with MDs than RNs.

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Specializes in SICU/CT-SICU.

All of our hearts come out with Swans. We do not wedge, we use PADs.

We seldom Swan our non-CT patients, surgical patients. When we do it's most often a septic paitient whose heart is failing.

We are just starting to see the "Presept" triple lumens CLs that measure continouse SVO2 and can give CO/CIs, with these I expect to see even less swans.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Hell I could probably find 10 articles citing that PACs increase morbiity and mortality and should be used sparingly.

Another example of myths about PA catheters.

"The meta analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials found no difference in mortality or length of stay between groups of patients who were randomized to PA catheter verses no PA catheter groups."

AACN Vol 17 #3 pp 286-305 2006

Shah MR, Hasselblad V, et al. Impact of the PA catheter in critically ill patients. JAMA 2005; 294 (13): 1664-1670

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Thread Closed for staff review

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Thread now re-opened

This thread contains much valuable information and is obviously a subject that many members feel passionately about, therefore could you please debate the topic and not the member for doing so only serves to derail the thread and adds nothing of significance to the discussion.

Thankyou

Sharrie

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Ugh, I understanding deleting that last post, but could you have left the article up? It was great...

Perhaps the PP who put up the article can come back and replace it without any commentary...

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
Ugh, I understanding deleting that last post, but could you have left the article up? It was great...

Perhaps the PP who put up the article can come back and replace it without any commentary...

I have asked the poster for a link to the article to make sure we comply with copyright, if we can get a link I will restore part of that post with the link

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Specializes in Not too many areas I haven't dipped into.

In my 3 years in a couple of different ICU's, I have seen 4 swans in total. We just don't get them very often in this area.

Of course, in my current hospital, the CVU is getting swans on all post CABG patients

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Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.

I think weve maybe had 6 swans in the past 2 years in my sicu.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Most of our open hearts and just about every one of our VAD patients comes back with a SGC.

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Specializes in Anesthesia, CTICU.

In the cardiothoracic unit, practically every patient has a SGC....

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Specializes in CVICU, ICU, RRT, CVPACU.

We use the all the time. Almost all of our patients have had or do have one. It is especially important in post op acbs and valves and nice with someone with poor cardiac function in general. I love them.

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