Re: RA pressure vs CVP

Originally Posted by Chisca

Before there were monitors that would give a digital display you used a glass tube connected inline to the venous catheter. A CVP manometer would measure in centimeters how high the water in the tube would be above the right atrium. With the advent of monitors with transducers this is no longer used. The problem is CVP measures with water and monitors are measuring with millimeters of mercury so 1.34 cms of water equals 1 mm of mercury.

Chisca:
Oh my goodness, I thought I was the only one that remembered that! Remember calculating the CVP measurments? So I guess you should remember glass syringes and remember the "drum catherter" usually inserted in the brachial? Or when arterial transducers first came about, nothing was disposible, used metal transducers and you had to put a drop of saline on the membrane...or how about how you had to check for the barometric pressure before analyzing an ABG? Or glass bottle system for chest tubes?
Ahhh the "good" ol' days, so glad they are gone! (Well, sometimes....)
athena

Re: RA pressure vs CVP

I was always taught that the RA MEAN = CVP. The RA pressure has a systolic and diastolic waveform just like any other hemodynamic measure. Do some running totals next time you have a Swan. Write down your RA mean and see if it doesn't correlate with the CVP. Your PA diastolic should also correlate with your PA wedge pressure.

Just my

Re: RA pressure vs CVP

Proximal infusion port- CVP- cm h20
PA port- PASP/PADP- mm hg
try this site if you would like to melt your brain some:-)
http://www.edwards.com/Products/PACa...incBookPDF.htm