RT-16 · Data Evaluation

Hemodynamic Monitoring & Cardiac Assessment / ECG

Reading pressures and rhythms the way a therapist must: what the number means, what it changes, and which rhythm needs action now.

~20 min read3 concept sections·4 questions with rationale

What you'll be able to do

  • Interpret CVP, pulmonary artery, and wedge pressures
  • Relate hemodynamics to ventilator settings
  • Identify the rhythms that demand immediate action
  • Connect oxygen delivery to cardiac output, not just PaO2
Concept breakdown
01

Pressures and what they mean

Each pressure reports on a different part of the circuit.

  • CVP 2–6 mm Hg reflects right heart preload; it rises with fluid overload, right heart failure, tension pneumothorax, high PEEP, and cardiac tamponade.
  • Pulmonary artery pressure 25/8 mm Hg (mean 10–20) reflects the pulmonary circuit; it rises with hypoxic vasoconstriction, embolism, ARDS, and left heart failure.
  • Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure 4–12 mm Hg estimates left atrial pressure. High wedge with pulmonary edema means cardiogenic; normal wedge with edema means ARDS.
  • Cardiac output 4–8 L/min, cardiac index 2.5–4 L/min/m2. Oxygen delivery is cardiac output multiplied by arterial oxygen content — a perfect PaO2 with a failing pump still starves tissue.
At the bedside

Rising CVP with falling blood pressure in a ventilated patient should make you think tension pneumothorax before it makes you think fluids.

Practice quiz

Check yourself before you read the rationale.

Question 1 of 1

PEEP is increased from 8 to 14 cm H2O. PaO2 improves but blood pressure falls from 118/70 to 86/50 and CVP rises. The best explanation is:

Practice questions

Answer first, then read why the distractors fail.

Question 1

PEEP is increased from 8 to 14 cm H2O. PaO2 improves but blood pressure falls from 118/70 to 86/50 and CVP rises. The best explanation is:

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2 more concept sections, 3 more questions, and the exam-day playbook for this module.

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