Pulmonary artery catheterization in small mammals contributes to more precise monitoring of hemodynamic parameters studied in experimental models. In addition, it allows drugs to be administered locally in the lungs through the inserted catheter, thus minimizing systemic adverse reactions. A refined technique for insertion of a Swan-Ganz catheter in the pulmonary artery of New Zealand rabbits through right external jugular artery is described. The catheter is bended before the insertion; when the right ventricle is reached, a minimal inflation of the balloon helps its advancement in the pulmonary artery carried along by the blood flow. Pneumon 2006,19(1):42-45.