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A comparison between continuous central venous pressure measurement from right atrium and abdominal vena cava or common iliac vein

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Abstract

Objective

To determine the accuracy of meancontinuous central venous pressure (CVP) measurements in the abdominal vena cava.

Design

We simultaneously measured the CVP at the superior vena cava or right atrium and at the abdominal vena cava or common iliac vein. The study was conducted at the pediatric intensive care unit of a major university-affiliated medical center.

Patients

Nine patients, aged 6 months to 14 years, were included in our study.

Measurements and results

Elevencontinuous recordings of 12 to 68 min were taken, eight of them while the children were mechanically ventilated. Mean overall CVP ranged from 3 to 30 mmHg. A total of 519 simultaneous recordings were made, of which 515 (99.2%) were within the accepted limits of agreement of ±2 mmHg: 301 (58%) with ΔCVP of ±mmHg, 189 (36,4%) with ΔCVP of ±1 mmHg, and 25 (4.8%) with ΔCVP of ±2 mmHg. The mean pressure difference was −0.22±1.52 mmHg. Accuracy was maintained within all ranges of CVP (3–10, 11–20, and 21–30 mmHg) and was not influenced by mechanical ventilation or abdominal fluid colection.

Conclusion

In children with no obstruction of blood flow from the abdominal vena cava to the right atrium, the pressure in the abdominal vena cava or common iliac vein accurately reflects the pressure in the right atrium.

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Nahum, E., Dagan, O., Sulkes, J. et al. A comparison between continuous central venous pressure measurement from right atrium and abdominal vena cava or common iliac vein. Intensive Care Med 22, 571–574 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01708098

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01708098

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