title: Demonstration of inferior vena cava compression by probe pressure during subxiphoid echocardiography.
abstract: We sought to compare the inferior vena cava diameter measured by transthoracic echocardiography and by transesophageal echocardiography in human and animals. Transthoracic echocardiography yielded lower inferior vena cava diameter values than transesophageal echocardiography. Adult and pediatric intensivists should pay attention to the risk of false measurement of the inferior vena cava anterior-posterior diameter that may be due to compression of the inferior vena cava by the sonographic probe when the subxiphoid view is used.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Division, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Siegenthaler
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Hayo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bendjelid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003250:Constriction; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009929:Organ Size; D011312:Pressure; D013552:Swine; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*