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| Typical Number in Hospital: | Cost Bands: 1 | References: 2,9 |
A long catheter is passed into a vein so that its tip lies in one of the great veins close to the heart. The pressure is usually monitored by connecting this catheter to a vertical tube fixed to a scale marked in centimetres of water pressure. The junction between the catheter and the manometer tube also connects to an intravenous fluid reservoir for flushing and body fluid replenishment. The base of the water manometer is raised to be level with the sternum.
CVP can also be monitored or recorded by connecting the catheter to a strain gauge pressure transducer and associated electronic units. CVP is measured in intensive care, open heart surgery and sometimes during anaesthesia to help assess the state of the patient or the effects of excessive positive pressure during the expiratory phase of assisted ventilation. It is also used as a guide to determine the amount of liquid a patient should receive. Normal values are in the range 3-10 cmH2O pressure.
Content and Design Copyright 2000 Dr. Malcolm C Brown. See Title Page for more details