Shock

The fluid loading appears complete, but the dopamine is having a disastrous effect: the last thing a patient needs following a myocardial infarction is a tachycardia of 140. I would insert a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) to find out what this patient’s left sided filling pressures are and what his cardiac output is.

You insert a PAC which yields a cardiac output of 2.2 liters, stroke volume of 35ml a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 18, and a mixed venous oxygen saturation of 56%. What do you think?

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