Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 19, Issue 8 587-592, Copyright © 2000 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Correlation of central venous pressure with Doppler waveform of the common femoral veins
M. R. Cozcolluela, L. Sarria, L. Sanz, M. T. Martinez-Berganza, J. M. de Vera, A. Bernal and S. Garcia
Department of Radiology, Hospital Reina Sofia, Tudela, Navarra, Spain.
The objects of this prospective study were to determine the nature of the
flow in the right femoral vein and to correlate the flow velocity with the
venous pressure measured in the right atrium. We performed 236 pulsed
Doppler ultrasonographic examinations in 1 year on patients with a venous
catheter with the distal tip in the right atrium. In the Doppler wave
readouts we analyzed wave frequency, velocity components, and relationships
among them and the existence of pulsatile flow. These parameters were then
compared to the right atrium pressure. We investigated the correlation
between the atrium pressure and the flow velocity obtained from the Doppler
waveforms of the common femoral veins, obtaining a significant correlation
(P<0.0001) with the following: the atrium systolic wave a, the atrium
diastolic wave v, the pulsatility ratio (PR = Vmin/Vmax) and the
pulsatility index (PI = [Vmax - Vmin] /Vavg). The receiver operating
characteristic showed that the pulsed Doppler ultrasonography is not a
sensitive technique in diagnosis high atrium pressures. In addition, both
cardiac and respiratory phasicity of the venous wave was observed. A
significant inverse relation was found between the pulsatile flow and high
atrium pressure. Nonetheless, the low sensitivity of this technique does
not allow the use of pulsatile Doppler ultrasonography in the common
femoral vein for diagnosing increases of the atrium pressure.
