Evaluation of Jugular Venous Pressure By VenoVision

Background: Jugular vein pressure is an important sign of heart failure; however, its evaluation is limited by the difficulty and imprecision of evaluation and limited utilization of invasive measurement.

Methods: We used a novel thermal imaging (VenoVision) that enables a non-invasive assessment of patient’s hemodynamics by detecting the jugular venous pulse and waveform.

Here we compared Venovision readout and blinded physician JVP with right atrial (RA) pressure recording from invasive hemodynamic study. Linear correlations were evaluated between parameters.

Fifteen patients were evaluated (mean age 60 years 53% males) were included in the clinical study.

The indications for hemodynamic evaluation was heart failure in 67% and pulmonary hypertension in 33%.

Results: Invasive mean RA pressure was on average 10.1 mmHg (range 6-20). Peak RA pressure average was 14.3mmHg (range 6-24).

Correlations with mean RA was R²=0.01 for visual evaluation and R²=0.75 for VenoVision. Correlation with peak RA pressure was R²=0.10 for visual and R²=0.77 for VenoVision.

Conclusion: VenoVision thermal imaging is superior to visual evaluation of RA pressure. Both visual and thermal jugular evaluation correlate better with peak RA pressure.