A 74-year-old man has a 5-hour elective operation for repair of an abdominal aoic aneurysm. He had a small myocardial infarction 3 years earlier. In the ICU on the first postoperative day, he is hypotensive and is receiving dobutamine by continuous infusion.select the best method of physiologic monitoring necessary for the patient.

This patient requires pulmonary aery catheter readings to allow his physicians to assess his volume status and need for ongoing inotropic suppo. Fuhermore, the patient continues to be hypotensive and requires fuher investigation as to the etiology that would subsequently dictate treatment (volume, afterload reduction, etc). Central venous monitoring alone does not allow the physician to assess cardiac function. Miller&;s anaesthesia 9th edition p578