Physical Finding |
Associated cardiac condition(s) |
JVP >8 centimeters (or >3 centimeters above sternal angle) with patient’s head tilted 45% |
Right heart failure, pericardial effusion/ constrictive pericarditis, tricuspid stenosis, tricuspid regurgitation, fluid overload, superior vena cava obstruction, hyperdynamic circulation |
Jugular veins fill during inspiration (Kussmaul's sign) |
Constrictive pericarditis, corpulmonale, pulmonary embolism, right ventricular infarction, right heart failure, tricuspid stenosis, cardiac tamponade, acute pulmonary hypertension, severe asthma, tension pneumothorax, & exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
Dominant a wave |
Tricuspid stenosis or atresia, pulmonary
stenosis, pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, right atrial myxoma
|
Absent a wave |
Atrial fibrillation |
Cannon a wave |
Complete heart block, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, junctional rhythm |
Rapid x descent |
Cardiac tamponade |
Dominant v wave |
Tricuspid regurgitation (as in primary pulmonary hypertension), atrial septal defect (also prominent y descent) |
Rapid y descent |
Constrictive pericarditis, severe right heart failure, severe tricuspid regurgitation |
Slow y descent |
Tricuspid stenosis, right atrial myxoma |
Blunted y descent (or x descent more prominent than y descent) |
Cardiac tamponade |