J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2007 Apr;18(2):115-123.

Estimation of Central Venous Pressure using Ultrasound Imaging of Inferior Vena Cava

• Lee YJ
• Hong YC
• Lee HY
• Han SC
• Jeung KW
• Heo T
• Min YI
• Yun JG

Abstract

PURPOSE: There have been several studies addressing the correlation between central venous pressure (CVP) and ultrasonographic findings of the inferior vena cava (IVC). We performed the present study to discover the degree of correlation between CVP and the area of IVC as measured with ultrasound, and to determine which portion of the IVC shows the best correlation with CVP.
METHODS
The present study was prospectively performed in emergency medical center of Chonnam National University Hospital from March 1 to October 31, 2006. Two intrahepatic portions and one extrahepatic portion of the IVC were evaluated.
RESULTS
All tested areas of the IVC, and the collapsibility indices measured at each location, showed a substantial correlation with CVP. However, in multiple logistic regression analysis performed to identify the location best correlated with CVP, the area of the IVC just below the hepatic vein-IVC junction proved to be the only location to correlate with CVP with statistic significance.
CONCLUSION
Measurement of IVC area using ultrasound can yield important information about a patient's volume status, especially in patients for whom central venous catheter insertion is contraindicated. We suggest that the portion of the IVC just below the hepatic vein-IVC junction is the optimal locatin for area measurement to estimate CVP.

Keyword

Inferior vena cava; Central venous pressure; Ultrasonography

MeSH Terms

Central Venous Catheters
Central Venous Pressure*
Emergencies
Humans
Jeollanam-do
Logistic Models
Prospective Studies
Ultrasonography*
Vena Cava, Inferior*