A comparison of central venous pressure (CVP) in the superior vena cava and common iliac vein in critically ill patients

Abstract

The measurement of CVP via the femoral route using a long catheter placed, under electrocardiographic guidance, in the inferior vena cava, close to the right atrium has been shown to accurately reflect superior vena cava pressure (SVCP) in critically ill adults [1]. We assessed the possibility of using widely available and more easily placed short catheters (15-20 cm in length), placed via the femoral route, to measure CVP.