COMPARISON OF CENTRAL AORTIC AND PERIPHERAL ARTERY PRESSURE CURVES

Brachial artery and central aortic pressures were compared in 50 consecutive patients subjected to retrograde left heart catheterization in order to re-emphasize the fact that the two pressures are not necessarily identical. In 43 cases the systemic systolic pressure peaks exceeded those in the central aorta while in seven these pressures were equal. The average pressure difference was 22.6 mm. Hg. The greatest differences occurred in cases of aortic regurgitation and could be extreme, the brachial artery systolic pressure exceeding that in the aorta by more than 100 mm. Hg in some instances. The least differences occurred in cases of aortic stenosis but significant differences occasionally existed, leading to erroneous estimation of valve orifice size if the systemic rather than the aortic systolic pressure was used.