Looking at the neck veins for hours together has been a favorite pastime of our cardiology ancestors.Thanks to those sharp intellect , that has led us to this height of cardiovascular revolution. Measuring JV pressure by itself was considered a big science. Putting a patient in 45 degrees , marking the sternal angle, identify the oscillating venous column, measuring the vertical distance etc . . .
Now in 2010 , with bedside hand-held echo one can rapidly rule out an elevated central venous pressure by imaging the jugular vein directly . Here is an article from American heart journal
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20211304
Soon , your mobile will double up as ultra-portable echocardiogram
Read this related article in this blog .
Dr.S.Venkatesan MD 