Monitoring of haemodynamics and oxygen transport in anaesthesia, postoperative care and intensive medicine may reveal disturbances of circulation and tissue oxygenation. It should enable fast, effective and rational therapy of monitored disorders. Since the 1970s, physicians can monitor and evaluate haemodynamics and oxygen transport in different critical situations using pulmonary artery catheter. In the last three decades, the development of innovative medical technologies permitted transition from more invasive to less invasive methods and from a static to a dynamic assessment of clinical status in real time. In a review article, authors comment on the most common invasive, less invasive and non invasive methods of haemodynamic monitoring. Their suitability and limitations are discussed.

        Key words: haemodynamic monitoring – anaesthesia – postoperative care