Cardio Monitoring Device Falls Out of Favor

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Doctors' early enthusiasm for the device is easy to understand, Rubenfeld said. "It made us feel good, because it made us feel better," he said. "It gave us information [about the patient], and information is power."

That enthusiasm persisted, because "it is very hard to prove that monitoring and measuring devices are helpful, because the benefits are small," Rubenfeld said. "It was only in the last few years that well-designed trials showed it to be of no demonstrable value in patients."

The catheter probably will continue to be used, at least on a limited basis, because some physicians have become accustomed to its use, and others find it helpful for certain groups of patients, he said. But that use should be monitored carefully, "because these are complicated devices that require training and skill to set up, not only by doctors, but also by nurses," Rubenfeld said.

Aside from the risks of such limited use, the rise of alternative monitoring devices using less invasive technologies such as ultrasound has contributed to the decline of the pulmonary artery catheter, Rubenfeld said.

The study should also have a wider lesson for doctors, he said.

"The clinician really should be a little skeptical about all these devices," Rubenfeld said.

More information

For more on heart failure, the prime target for pulmonary artery catheterization, visit the American Heart Association.