Congestive heart failure constitutes one of the major categories of morbidity, particularly in the elderly, and is responsible for the utilization of significant resources, including a large number of hospitalizations (estimated at 800,000 to 2.3 million per year) and related health care costs. In 1993, 4.7 million Americans carried the diagnosis of CHF, and about 400,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. It is estimated that there are 800,000 to 1.2 million CHF patients with NYHA class III-IV symptoms. The diagnosis and treatment of CHF and its episodes of decompensation can be facilitated by pulmonary artery catheter use, but its efficacy is highly dependent on the physician's experience in the treatment of such patients. Recently, concern has been raised about the benefits of PAC, also known as Swan-Ganz catheterization.