title: Clinical review: interpretation of arterial pressure wave in shock states.
abstract: In critically ill patients monitored with an arterial catheter, the arterial pressure signal provides two types of information that may help the clinician to interpret haemodynamic status better: the mean values of systolic, diastolic, mean and pulse pressures; and the magnitude of the respiratory variation in arterial pressure in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. In this review we briefly discuss the physiological mechanisms responsible for arterial pressure generation, with special focus on resistance, compliance and pulse wave amplification phenomena. We also emphasize the utility of taking into consideration the overall arterial pressure set (systolic, diastolic, mean and pulse pressures) in order to define haemodynamic status better. Finally, we review recent studies showing that quantification of respiratory variation in pulse and systolic arterial pressures can allow one to identify the mechanically ventilated patients who may benefit from volume resuscitation.
authors.affiliation: Service de Réanimation Médicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Sud 11, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Bouchra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lamia
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chemla
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Teboul
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011674:Pulse; D012119:Respiration; D012769:Shock / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*