title: Comparison of central venous pressure measurements in the intrathoracic and the intra-abdominal vena cava in critically ill children.
abstract: A prospective study was conducted to compare simultaneous intrathoracic and intra-abdominal central venous pressures in 10 critically ill, ventilated paediatric intensive care patients. Central venous pressures were measured using the water column technique over a 6 h study period. There was excellent correlation between intrathoracic and intra-abdominal vena caval pressure measurements (r = 0.974, p < 0.001). The difference between paired measurements did not exceed the limits of agreement (+/- 2SD, -2.36 to 4.42 cm H2O). The mean (SD) difference between readings was small (1.03 +/- 1.69 cmH2O) and was within clinically tolerable limits. These data suggest a clinically useful, close relationship between intra-abdominal and conventional intrathoracic central venous pressure measurement in this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto, South Africa.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Litmanovitch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Luyt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dance
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Mathivha
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013909:Thorax; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000503:physiopathology*