A comparison of external and internal jugular venous pressures to monitor pulmonary artery pressure after superior cavopulmonary anastomosis.

The internal jugular vein continues to be the preferred site for cannulation to monitor central venous pressure despite the reported evidence of the accuracy of external jugular venous pressure (EJVP) to reliably predict internal jugular venous pressure (IJVP). Internal jugular venous cannulation carries a risk of thrombosis that can be life-threatening in children undergoing superior cavopulmonary anastomosis and a subsequent Fontan procedure. The present study compared IJVP and EJVP in children undergoing superior cavopulmonary anastomosis and found no statistical and clinical difference between IJVP and EJVP. Thus, external jugular vein cannulation reliably predicts IJVP and pulmonary artery pressures in children undergoing superior cavopulmonary anastomosis, and may obviate the risk of life-threatening cavopulmonary thrombosis.