Accuracy of central venous pressure measurement from the abdominal inferior vena cava.

Central venous pressure measurements in the abdominal inferior vena cava were compared with measurements in the right atrium in 10 infants and 10 children during cardiac catheterization. At end expiration, the mean pressures at these two sites were within 1 mm Hg of each other in all 20 patients, with a mean difference of 0.0 +/- 0.36 mm Hg. The abdominal inferior vena cava is a safe and convenient site for measurement of central venous pressure, and our study confirms that such measurements are accurate.