PULMONARY ARTERY CATHETERIZATION-NORMAL PRESSURES
SUMMARY
1. RA < 7 cmH2O, RV = 30/7 cmH2O, PCWP < 12 cmH2O.
2. Jugular venous distension in the upright patient indicates an elevated RA pressure > 7 cmH2O (5 mmHg).
3. PCWP increases with LV systolic and diastolic failure, MS, aortic and mitral insufficiency, tamponade, constrictive pericarditis and ventricular hypertrophy.
4. Consider LV failure if the PCWP is > 15-18 cmH2O; PCWP 15-25 cmH2O causes dyspnea on exertion (DOE); and PCWP 25-35 cmH2O causes dyspnea at rest, orthopnea, and interstitial edema. Pressure > 35 cmH2O (acutely) causes frank pulmonary edema.
Reference(s)
Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].
