Demonstration of inferior vena cava compression by probe pressure during subxiphoid echocardiography

✍ Scribed by Nils Siegenthaler; Raphael Giraud; Hayo Muller; Karim Bendjelid

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 961 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.20870

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We sought to compare the inferior vena cava diameter measured by transthoracic echocardiography and by transesophageal echocardiography in human and animals. Transthoracic echocardiography yielded lower inferior vena cava diameter values than transesophageal echocardiography. Adult and pediatric intensivists should pay attention to the risk of false measurement of the inferior vena cava anterior‐posterior diameter that may be due to compression of the inferior vena cava by the sonographic probe when the subxiphoid view is used. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2011