Pressure measurements during cardiac surgery--internal jugular vs central venous

Although central venous pressure (CVP) is a valuable guide and measurement during cardiac surgery anesthesia, there are many occasions however, when the time consumed in inserting a peripheral catheter, defeats the actual purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare central venous pressure and internal jugular veins pressure, and to see whether the jugular veins pressures were a reliable guide to central venous pressure monitoring. Simultaneous measurements of the internal jugular (both left and right side) and right atrial venous pressures were made in 70 patients undergoing cardiac surgery both at times when the chests were closed and when they were opened. After induction of anesthesia, a 16 gauge catheter was inserted into the internal jugular vein on each side of the neck, and another catheter was passed into the right atrium. Then the CVP and internal jugular veins were measured six times during anesthesia and postoperatively. A good correlation was found between pressures of right and left internal jugular veins with that of CVP both at times when the chests were closed and when they were opened. It is concluded that left and right internal jugular vein pressures are reliable guides to central venous pressures during anesthesia in cardiac surgery.