Right ventricular pressure

Right ventricular pressure is a key parameter in the assessment of cardiac function and heart health. It refers to the pressure within the right ventricle of the heart, which is responsible for pumping deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation.

Physiology

The right ventricle is one of the four chambers of the heart. It receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it into the pulmonary artery, which carries the blood to the lungs for oxygenation. The pressure within the right ventricle, or right ventricular pressure, is a measure of the force that the right ventricle must exert to pump blood into the pulmonary artery.

Right ventricular pressure is influenced by several factors, including the volume of blood in the right ventricle, the resistance of the pulmonary artery, and the strength and speed of right ventricular contractions. Normal right ventricular pressure is typically between 15 and 25 mmHg at rest, but can increase significantly during exercise or in response to stress.

Clinical significance

Abnormal right ventricular pressure can be a sign of several heart conditions. Elevated right ventricular pressure, or right ventricular hypertension, can be caused by conditions such as pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Decreased right ventricular pressure, on the other hand, can be a sign of conditions such as right ventricular failure or tricuspid valve disease.

Measurement of right ventricular pressure is typically done using a procedure called right heart catheterization, which involves inserting a catheter into the right side of the heart and measuring the pressure directly.

See also

• Left ventricular pressure
• Pulmonary artery pressure
• Cardiac output