Does CVP Correlate with Transesophageal Echocardiographic Evaluation of Right Heart Function?

Abstract

Important goals in the management of cardiac patients under general anesthesia include accurate evaluation of right heart function, preload status, and assessment of fluid responsiveness. Central venous pressure (CVP) recorded from the right atrium or superior vena cava is said to reflect intravascular volume. The ability of the CVP to predict fluid responsiveness, i.e., an increase in stroke index/cardiac index following a fluid challenge, has indirectly advanced the idea that CVP is a measure of right heart function and that patients with right ventricular failure may exhibit elevated CVP. Several echocardiographic parameters including right ventricular ejection fraction, amplitude of the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) assessed by M-mode, and tricuspid annular systolic velocity recorded by Doppler tissue imaging have been used to evaluate right ventricular function.