Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
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2008-06-01T21:41:15Z
CmdrObot
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The '''Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure''' (abbreviated '''PCWP'''), as measured by a [[Swan-Ganz catheter]], is the pressure measured in a pulmonary artery after occlusion of that artery. Because of the large [[Compliance (physiology)|compliance]] of the [[pulmonary circulation]], it provides an indirect measure of the left atrial pressure.
For example it's considered the gold standard for determining the cause of acute pulmonary edema. Physiological pressure; 1-10 mm Hg.
Go to http://www.cvphysiology.com/Heart%20Failure/HF008.htm for a good explanation.
==External links==
* {{GPnotebook|-1113980888}}
* [http://www.cvphysiology.com/Heart%20Failure/HF008.htm Overview at cvphysiology.com]
* [http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/anesthesiology-elective/cardiac/pacphys.cfm Description at virginia.edu]
* {{MeshName|Pulmonary+wedge+pressure}}
[[Category:Medical terms]]
[[Category:Medical tests]]
[[Category:Medicine stubs]]
[[Category:Cardiovascular system]]
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