Medical Term:
balloon-tip catheter
Definition: a single- or double-lumen tube with a balloon at its tip that can be inflated or deflated without removal after installation; the balloon can be inflated to facilitate passage of the tube through a blood vessel (propelled by the bloodstream) or to occlude the vessel in which the tube alone would allow free flow; such catheters are used to enter the pulmonary artery to facilitate hemodynamic measurements.
See Also: Swan-Ganz catheter
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Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.
