[Central venous pressure and orthostasis in the postoperative period (author's transl)]

In 18 postoperative patients (1st to 10th day) of both sexes, aged 26 to 74, the relation was studied between the CVP and arterial BP measured in the horizontal and in a partly upright position (45 and 60 degrees respectively). Patients with higher CVPs in the horizontal position generally showed a lesser orthostatic drop of the BP. The fall of CVP which we observed simultaneously in all patients was, however, significantly more marked in the patients with the higher horizontal CVP values, irrespective of the angle of inclination. The cause of these findings appears to be the dependence of the venous hydrostatic indifference point upon the intravascular volume.