ESTIMATION OF PULMONARY-ARTERY PRESSURE FROM PULMONARY VEIN WEDGE PRESSURE

Correlations between pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein wedge pressur es were investigated in 13 patients with atrial septal defect and 1 pa tient with Tetralogy of Fallot. Pulmonary vein wedge pressure wave for m resembled that of pulmonary artery pressure, and the former lagged b ehind the latter by 70 to 110 msec (mean 88 +/- 14) as observed by the fluid-filled catheter system. Diastolic pulmonary artery and diastoli c pulmonary vein wedge pressures were nearly identical. Although systo lic and mean pulmonary artery pressures correlated well with respectiv e pulmonary vein wedge pressures, there were discrepancies when systol ic and mean pulmonary artery pressure exceeded 35 and 20 mm Hg, respec tively. However, systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressures could be estimated by adding the difference between the diastolic pulmonary ve in wedge pressure and the mean left atrial pressure to corresponding s ystolic or mean pulmonary artery pressure. In conclusion, pulmonary ar tery pressures can be estimated by measuring pulmonary vein wedge pres sures and the mean left atrial pressure. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.