Estimating CVP from the IVC

The echocardiography societies have proposed a simple method for estimating central venous pressure (CVP) from the diameter of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and its inspiratory collapse (doi:10.1016/j.echo.2010.05.010). The method is summarized in the table below.

Figure: Measuring the diameter of the inferior vena cava (IVC) during both expiration and inspiration.

Estimating central venous pressure (CVP) from the IVC.
Finding	CVP (mmHg)	Interpretation
IVC ≤ 2.1 cm and collapses >50% with inspiration	3	Normal CVP
IVC > 2.1 cm and collapses <50% with inspiration	15	Elevated CVP
All other combinations	8	Intermediate CVP

Examples

Finding	CVP (mmHg)
IVC 1.5 cm and collapses >50%	3
IVC 2.7 cm and collapses <50%	15
IVC 1.5 cm but collapses <50%	8
IVC 2.7 cm but collapses >50%	8