title: The right subclavian vein can be used as a surrogate of the inferior vena cava, as an echocardiographic indicator of systemic venous congestion.
abstract: Respiratory variations in the caliber of the inferior vena cava, imaged in the subcostal view with the patient supine, correlated well with respiratory variation in the caliber of the right subclavian vein with the patient reclining at a 45 degrees angle. The subclavian vein was imaged by a right supraclavicular approach. We suggest that the right subclavian vein caliber be used as a surrogate of the inferior vena cava caliber when the latter cannot be used because of obesity, epigastric tenderness, or other reasons.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 38104, USA. ahmadmunirmd@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munir
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: D'cruz
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Minderman
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shelton
mesh_terms: D002496:Central Venous Pressure; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D012119:Respiration; D013350:Subclavian Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016683:Supine Position; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*