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| What Influences CVP |
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| Factors that can increase CVP: |
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Hypervolemia
– An increase in overall blood volume
that could arise from high salt intake or a failure
in the kidney’s ability to excrete salt and
water from the body. Excess fluids seep into body
tissue leading to edema (swelling), which can cause
headaches and respiratory difficulties. |
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Heart Failure
– A state where the heart is weakened
and no longer able to pump blood through the arterial
system adequately, leading excess blood to pool
in the veins and increase venous pressure. Some
causes of heart failure including coronary artery
disease, valvular disease, and myocardial infarction. |
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Sympathetic
Activation – A general increase in
the activity of the sympathetic nervous system,
often characterized as the “fight or flight”
response, leads to increased heart rate, inhibition
of the digestive system, and increased vascular
tone. The latter decreases venous compliance. |
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Pleural Effusion
– An excess of fluids in the pleural
space surrounding the lungs, which generally increases
thoracic pressure and can impair breathing. Pleural
effusions can be caused by various forms of heart
and liver failure as well as certain forms of cancer. |
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Forced Expiration
– A technique more commonly known as
the Valsalva maneuver, which increases thoracic
pressure and compresses the thoracic vena cava. |
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| Factors that can decrease CVP: |
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Hypovolemia
– A decrease in overall blood volume,
commonly caused by hemorrhage or internal bleeding.
A common cause of hypovolemia is blood loss due
to trauma, which leads to weakness and, in extreme
cases, organ failure. The drop in venous blood volume
decreases CVP. |
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Septic Shock
– A response to severe infection characterized
by fever, inflammation, and the formation of clots
that impede blood flow and lower venous pressure.
Sepsis is more likely to strike patients with weak
immune systems and hospital patients undertaking
invasive procedures like surgery or catheterization. |
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