The authors observed 7 patients with localized pulmonary consolidation distal to the tip of a Swan-Ganz catheter. These 7 instances occurred in a population of over 300 patients receiving a hypertonic solution of glucose, insulin, and potassium for acute myocardial infarction. In 4 patients the glucose-insulin-potassium solution was instilled directly into the right pulmonary artery from the tip of the Swan-Ganz catheter. In the subsequent 3 patients the solution was administered via the right atrial port and thus perfused the entire pulmonary vascular bed. The roentgenographic appearance of this localized pulmonary consolidation is indistinguishable from infarction caused by pulmonary thromboembolus or wedging of the catheter.
