title: The relationship between superior vena cava diameter and collapsibility and central venous pressure.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between superior vena cava (SVC) diameter, collapsibility and central venous pressure (CVP) in cardiac surgical patients. SVC maximum and minimum diameters, plus collapsibility with ventilation, were measured with transoesophageal echocardiography in the mid-oesophageal bicaval view with M-mode. Simultaneously, CVP was measured via the right atrial port of a pulmonary artery catheter. Measurements were possible in 91 out of 92 patients. The median CVP was 10 mmHg with a range of 2 to 19 mmHg. There was a weak, but statistically significant, correlation between CVP and SVC collapsibility index (r=-0.21, P=0.049). There was no statistically significant correlation between maximum SVC diameter and CVP. Maximum SVC diameter was statistically significantly correlated with weight (Pearson's r=0.28, P=0.008). There was no statistically significant correlation between CVP and age or body dimensions. Our findings indicate that SVC diameter and collapsibility are easily measured with transoesophageal echocardiography but do not reliably reflect CVP in anaesthetised cardiac surgical patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria and Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kluger
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Science, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rex
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Science, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Missant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000379:methods*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000379:methods; D002496:Central Venous Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: catheterisation; central venous pressure; pulmonary artery; superior vena cava