New acoustic window for assessing the inferior vena cava collapsibility in humans in the prone position

Abstract

Objective: Ultrasound assessment of inferior vena cava (IVC) collapsibility is performed to determine the volume status of critically ill patients. We propose a new acoustic window for visualizing a vein in a prone patient. Case Presentation: A healthy volunteer took part in the study. The study protocol includes two stages: 1) performing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination to determine the projection of a certain IVC area on the posterior chest surface (holotopy), 2) performing an ultrasound scanning in the area of IVC projection in order to identify it and determine its dimensions. Conclusion: The 11th intercostal space parallel to the paraspinal line allows to visualize the IVC in the prone position. This gives a potential opportunity to use it to assess the IVC collapsibility. Its potential advantage is the ability to assess the compressibility of IVC in the antero-posterior direction.

Keywords

• ultrasound
• hemodynamics
• volume status
• monitoring
• point-of-care