Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

How far is the sternal angle from the mid-right atrium?

Ratika Seth1, Peter Magner, Fred Matzinger

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
|October 31, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Commentary: Muddying the waters: Limitations of secondary subgroup analyses of randomized controlled trials.

JTCVS structural and endovascular·2026
Same author

2025 Canadian Surgery Forum: Sept. 17-20, 2025.

Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie·2025
Same author

Home-Based Prehabilitation for Older Surgical Patients With Frailty: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA surgery·2025
Same author

Description and validation of the Postoperative Discharge Recovery State outcome: a patient-partnered population-based cohort study.

British journal of anaesthesia·2025
Same author

External validation of a model using health administrative data to predict acetabular fracture probability: Brief report.

Medicine·2024
Same author

Home-based exercise prehabilitation to improve disease-free survival and return to intended oncologic treatment after cancer surgery in older adults with frailty: a secondary analysis of a randomized trial.

Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie·2024

The distance from the sternal angle to the right atrium varies significantly between individuals and with patient position. This finding impacts central venous pressure estimation in clinical practice.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Physiology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Central venous pressure (CVP) is often estimated using jugular venous pressure (JVP) and the sternal angle.
  • A standard 5 cm distance from the sternal angle to the mid-right atrium is traditionally assumed.
  • This assumption's validity, particularly with varying patient positions, has been questioned.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure the sternal angle to mid-right atrium (SA-RA) distance.
  • To determine if this SA-RA distance changes with patient positioning.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted.
  • 160 ambulatory patients undergoing chest CT scans were included.
  • Geometric calculations were used to estimate SA-RA distance at different torso elevations.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • The median SA-RA distance in the supine position was 5.4 cm.
  • Elevating the torso to 30, 45, and 60 degrees resulted in median SA-RA distances of 8 cm, 9.7 cm, and 9.8 cm, respectively.
  • SA-RA distance varied significantly between patients and correlated with smoking, age, and chest diameter.

Conclusions:

  • The SA-RA distance is not constant and varies significantly between individuals.
  • Patient position critically influences the SA-RA distance.
  • Accurate CVP estimation requires considering individual patient factors and their position.