Objective Assessment of Venous Pulse Wave Velocity in Healthy Humans.
Central venous pressure and volume status are relevant parameters for characterization of a patient's hemodynamic condition; however, their invasive assessment is affected by various risks while non-invasive approaches provide limited and subjective indications. Here we explore the possibility of assessing venous pulse wave velocity (vPWV), a potential indicator of venous pressure changes. In eight healthy patients, pressure pulses were generated artificially in the leg veins by rapid compression of the foot, and their propagation was detected at the level of the superficial femoral vein with Doppler ultrasound. Changes in leg venous pressure were obtained by raising the trunk from the initial supine position by 30° and 60°. vPWV increased from 1.78 ± 0.06 m/s (supine) to 2.26 ± 0.19 m/s (60°) (p < 0.01) and exhibited an overall linear relationship with venous pressure. These results indicate that vPWV can be easily assessed, and is a non-invasive indicator of venous pressure changes.
['Ermini|Leonardo|L|', 'Ferraresi|Carlo|C|', 'De Benedictis|Carlo|C|', 'Roatta|Silvestro|S|']
D000328:Adult D006801:Humans D007866:Leg D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis D012016:Reference Values D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler D014680:Veins D055815:Young Adult
Pulse wave velocity Central venous pressure Hemodynamics Echo Doppler