What is Central Venous Pressure?
Blood pressure is one of the broadest medical terms one can speak of due to the multitude of pressure types and other various terms that go along with it. Depending on the area of the heart you’re talking about or the specific vein or artery being discussed, the type of pressure will change. One of these is the central venous pressure that relates to the blood pressure in the veins located in the right atrium of the heart. It is an important pressure that must be factored in whenever doctors or other health officials take someone’s blood pressure. It has been known to be associated with various health problems whenever the value for the central venous pressure is too high, because rarely does it come out too low.
Blood pressure is taken in two main forms: through invasive procedures and non-invasive procedures. Invasive procesdures involves doctors going within the body in order to find the blood pressure while non-invasive procedures (such as the blood pressure cuff we are most familiar with) do not. Central venous pressure does not have the luxury of being taken simply by wearing a blood pressure cuff. It can only be taken using invasive procedures. It is taken by connecting the patient’s central venous catheter to a special infusion set that is then connected to a small diameter water column. Once calibrated correctly, the height of the water column will indicate the measurement for the central venous pressure.
Central venous pressure is an excellent way to check for a multitude of various health issues that one may have in relation to the pressure of one’s blood. If someone’s central venous pressure is reported to be too high, then it is most likely due to a factor out of that person’s control. An elevated central venous pressure could be taken due to the follwing: hypervolemia, forced exhalation, tension pneumothorax, heart failure, pleural deffusion, and forced cardiac output. Central venous pressure can also be too low, though the causes are few. They include hypovolemia and deep inhalation.
Central venous pressure is normally found to be around 2-4 mmHg, which makes it a relatively weak form of blood pressure. Normally, blood pressure ranges much higher than this, at rates almost 20 times that of the central venous pressure. Be sure you understand what your central venous pressure should be so that you know what to expect. If you do not completely understand, ask your doctor to explain it to you further. Knowlesge is your best defense against poor health.
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