Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Continuous Venous-Arterial Doppler Ultrasound During a Preload Challenge
Published on: January 20, 2023
Responsiveness of stroke volume variation and central venous pressure during acute normovolemic and hypervolemic
Fu-Hai Ji1, Wen-Jing Li, Jiang Li
1Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China. jifuhai@hotmail.com
Background:
Stroke volume variation (SVV) is a robust indicator of fluid responsiveness during volume change. We compared the sensibility of SVV by Vigileo/Flotrac to central venous pressure (CVP) when volume changes in patients undergoing intraoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) and acute hypervolemic hemodilution (AHH).
Methods:
Forty patients were randomly divided into an ANH group (n = 20) and an AHH group (n = 20). All patients received general anesthesia and were mechanically ventilated. Data were collected from 7 different time-points in the ANH group: baseline, after withdrawal of 5%, 10%, and 15% of the estimated blood volume (EBV) and after replacement with an equal volume of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (HES) in 5% EBV increments to baseline. There were four time points in the AHH group: baseline, after 5%, 10%, and 15% expansion of the EBV with 6% HES. At each time-point, CVP, SVV and other hemodynamic parameters measurements were obtained.
Results:
After removal of 10% and 15% EBV, SVV significantly increased from 10.9 ± 3.0 to 14.1 ± 3.4 and 10.9 ± 3.0 to 16.0 ± 3.3 (P < 0.01), and returned to a final value of 10.6 ± 3.4 after volume replacement. The CVP value was unchanged after removal and replacement of 15% of the EBV. There were no significant changes in SVV after 5%, 10% whereas there was a significant reduction after 15% (8.2 ± 1.7) expansion of the EBV compared with baseline (9.9 ± 1.8) (P = 0.033). However, there was a significant increase in CVP after 10% (10.3 ± 2.4), 15% (11.3 ± 2.2) expansion of the EBV compared with baseline (8.2 ± 2.7) (P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
SVV is a more sensitive parameter for volume than CVP during hypovolemia, on the contrary CVP is more sensitive than SVV during hypervolemia.
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
Cardiac Output II: Effect of Stroke Volume on Cardiac Output
Preload
Preload refers to the initial elongation of the cardiac myocytes before contraction and is related to the volume of blood filling the heart at the end of diastole, or end-diastolic volume. The...
Cardiac Output and Stroke Volume
In an average resting adult male, the typical cardiac output averages...
Veins as Blood Reservoirs
Cardiac Output I:Effect of Heart Rate on Cardiac Output
Cardiac output (CO) refers to the total amount of blood ejected by one of the ventricles in liters per minute (L/min). In a resting adult, CO ranges from 5 to 6 L/min, adjusting according to the body's metabolic requirements.
Effect of Heart Rate on Cardiac Output
Cardiac output adapts to metabolic demands during stress, physical activity, or illness. The autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate via the sinoatrial node. The parasympathetic nervous system decreases heart rate...
Hormonal Regulation of Blood Pressure
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, catecholamines that enhance and extend the sympathetic or "fight or flight" physiological response. These hormones escalate heart rate and the force of contraction while...

