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Measurements of venous pressure are an important aid to the physician for determining the function of the capillary bed and the right heart. The venous pressure has little pulse and so a steady state measurement is normally adequate. This is achieved by making a puncture into a vein using a large bore needle, and passing a plastic tube through it which is advanced to the correct position before the needle is removed. The tube is connected to a short saline-filled tube which is held vertical against a calibrated backing strip, or it may be connected to a high-sensitivity pressure transducer.
The most common venous pressure measurement is the central venous pressure, which is measured in one of the large veins returning to the heart, or in the right atrium. The reference level of the pressure is the right atrium, and the measurement is used widely in intensive care to monitor therapy of heart dysfunction, shock, hypo- or hyper-volaemic states, or circulatory failure. It is used as a guide to determine the amount of liquid the patient should receive.
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