Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Right Ventricle and Pulmonary Artery

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Echocardiography for Intensivists

Abstract

The right ventricle (RV) has been less studied than the left ventricle in terms of physiopathology and echocardiography. However, this ventricle is more involved in respiratory diseases in the ICU, both acute and chronic. Its functionality may determine the load response and blood volume in unstable patients, and whenever the hypotensive patient does not respond to a fluid challenge, an involvement of the RV is suspected. The pulmonary artery is a large artery originating from the superior surface of the RV and carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. The pulmonary artery is the exception to the rule that arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to other parts of the body. Both these structures can be well studied with transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Further Reading

  • Bleeker GB, Steendijk P, Holman ER et al (2006) Assessing right ventricular function: the role of echocardiography and complementary technologies. Heart 92(1):i19–i26

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ho SY, Nihoyannopoulos P (2006) Anatomy, echocardiography, and normal right ventricular dimensions. Heart 92(1):i2–i13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jurcut R, Giusca S, La Gerche A et al (2010) The echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricle: what to do in 2010? Eur J Echocardiogr 11:81–96

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindqvist P, Henein M, Kazzam E (2003) Right ventricular outflow-tract fractional shortening: an applicable measure of right ventricular systolic function. Eur J Echocardiogr 4:29–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Candales A, Rajagopalan N, Saxena N, Gulyasy B, Edelman K, Bazaz R (2006) Right ventricular systolic function is not the sole determinant of tricuspid annular motion. Am J Cardiol 98:973–977

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mathew JP, Ayoub CM (2005) Clinical manual and review of transesophageal echocardiography. McGraw-Hill, Columbus

    Google Scholar 

  • Samad BA, Alam M, Jensen-Urstad K (2002) Prognostic impact of right ventricular involvement as assessed by tricuspid annular motion in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 90:778–781

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheehan F, Redington A (2008) The right ventricle: anatomy, physiology and clinical imaging. Heart 94:1510–1515

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vieillard-Baron A (2009) Assessment of right ventricular function. Curr Opin Crit Care 15:254–260

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Cardiac Surgery ICU, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Luigi Tritapepe, Vincenzo De Santis & Massimo Pacilli

Authors
  1. Luigi Tritapepe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vincenzo De Santis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Massimo Pacilli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luigi Tritapepe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ospedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reparto di Terapia Intensiva, Azienda Sanitaria di Firenze, Piazza S.Maria Nuova 1, Firenze, 50123, Italy

    Armando Sarti

  2. , Dipartimento di Anestesia e Rianimazione, Az. Osp. Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Via Delle Cave 31/c, Bergamo, 24127, Italy

    F. Luca Lorini

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Italia

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Tritapepe, L., De Santis, V., Pacilli, M. (2013). The Right Ventricle and Pulmonary Artery. In: Sarti, A., Lorini, F. (eds) Echocardiography for Intensivists. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2583-7_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2583-7_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-2582-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2583-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation