Jugular venous distention resident survival guide

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Overview

Jugular venous distension (JVD), or an elevated jugular venous pressure (JVP), is considered a useful physical finding for assessing ventricular filling pressures and central venous pressure (CVP). JVD is defined as an estimated JVP ≥10 cm H2O.

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.


Common Causes


Diagnosis

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of jugular venous distension. [1]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Without pulmonary edema
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Increased right atrial pressure
 
Venous obstruction
 
Increased intrathoracic pressure
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Restriction of right atrial and right ventricular filling:

Cor pulmonale (Massive pulmonary emboli, COPD)
Pulmonary Hypertension
Constrictive pericarditis
Cardiac Tamponade

RV Failure:

Cardiomyopathy
RV myocardial infarction

Fluid overload due to renal diseases

Tricuspid valve incompetence

Tricuspid valve stenosis or obstruction
 
Superior vena cava obstrcution
 

Treatment

Do's

  • If the JVP does not seem elevated when the patient is supine, a provocative test, i.e., abdominojugular test, should be performed.

Don'ts

  • JVD only provides clues to the presence of an elevated central venous pressure (CVP). Clinicians should avoid making decisions about the degrees of CVP elevation based on the JVP measurement.

References

  1. Butman SM, Ewy GA, Standen JR, Kern KB, Hahn E (1993). "Bedside cardiovascular examination in patients with severe chronic heart failure: importance of rest or inducible jugular venous distension". J Am Coll Cardiol. 22 (4): 968–74. doi:10.1016/0735-1097(93)90405-p. PMID 8409071.


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