[Measurement of the pressure in pulmonary capillaries by an occlusion method in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome].

The pulmonary artery was catheterized using a Swan-Ganz catheter (7F) in 16 patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome. Hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary capillaries was determined by analyzing changes in pulmonary artery pressure during its occlusion with a balloon and by the formula suggested by Gaar. The results have been compared. A high and significant correlation between the parameters obtained by the two above techniques has been established. The determination of pressure in the pulmonary capillaries makes it possible to calculate precapillary and postcapillary resistance.