Does Jugular Venous Pressure Measured by Ultrasound Predict Elevated Central Venous Congestion?

Accurate assessment of a patient's volume status is vital for managing congestive heart failure (CHF) and related conditions. Classically, central venous pressure, a noninvasive surrogate for right atrial pressure, has been estimated using height of jugular venous pressure (JVP) + 5 cm (distance from the sternal angle to the right atrium). However, bedside assessment of JVP can be challenging due to poor examiner skills or the patient's anatomy.

Researchers at a single academic institution in Utah set out to validate the feasibility and accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in assessing ultrasound JVP (uJVP). Standard visual JVP, followed by uJVP, was obtained in 100 patients immediately before they underwent right heart catheterizati…