CVP (Central Venous Pressure) monitoring comes under the category of hemodynamic monitoring. The central venous catheter is connected to a tall thin manometer. When a CVP reading is desired, the base of the manometer is held at the level of the atrium of the patient's heart. A stopcock on the IV line is turned so that the IV fluids are stopped and there is only connection between the manometer and the distal end of the catheter which is in the patient's right atrium. The pressure in the right atrium of the heart will cause IV fluid to backflow into the manometer and stop when it is equalized with the pressure in the right atrium. The nurse watches to see where the fluid level stays stationary in the manometer and is helped by a small ball floating at the top of the fluid in the manometer. This is the CVP reading. It is relatively easy to do. Here are some sites that have information about central venous pressure (right atrial pressure) monitoring and the physiology behind this and what a CVP reading means:
http://classes.kumc.edu/son/nurs420/unit4/hemomon.html - an short explanation of central venous pressure measurement (right atrial pressure). From the University of Kansas Medical Center.
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/anesthesiology-elective/cardiac/cvcphys.cfm - the physiology of central venous catheters
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/anesthesiology-elective/cardiac/cvpwave.cfm - what normal CVP waveforms look like
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/anesthesiology-elective/cardiac/indications.cfm - indications for central venous catheterization
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/anesthesiology-elective/cardiac/cvcomp.cfm - complications of central venous catheters
http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/cvl/tutorial.pps
http://rnbob.tripod.com/cvp.htm
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