Archives of Critical Care Medicine

Background: The central venous pressure (CVP) is a reliable indicator used to assess intravascular status. Although this is usually accomplished by placement of a central venous catheter (CVC), there are several situations, when a CVC may be practically difficult or even impossible to be used.

Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the CVP and compare the techniques presently used in this regard, to confirm the peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), as the default choice in the case of similar findings for CVP measurement. The PICC is usually mounted through a minor surgery, in patients who need CVC. Patients and Methods: Through a randomized controlled clinical trial, we compared two techniques of CVP measurement, including centrally inserted central catheter (CICC) and PICC, for the patients who were admitted in the intensive care unit, during 2013, at a referral hospital in Tehran, Iran.

Results: There was a strong correlation between CICC and PICC in CVP measurement (P < 0.001), as shown by the Pearson’s coefficient (r = 0.92).

Conclusions: The PICC can be advised in CVP assessment, due to lower complications, along with similar measurement results with CICC. The PICC does not require physician expertise to be set and is also simple to apply. Although there were different measures of CVP, by the used techniques, the strong correlation between the findings could guide us to determine the exact CVP measures, by considering that correlation, as well.