Description

This view is used to assess the pulmonary veins draining into the left atrium. It is to be stressed that this view is very difficult to obtain. In addition, this position may cause considerable discomfort and potentially some cardio-respiratory compromise in untrained hands. The probe is positioned in the suprasternal notch perpendicular to the chest with the marker pointing towards the left. The ultrasound beam is then angled towards the anterior chest wall. PWD is used to measure the peak systolic velocity of the left and right lower pulmonary veins. Pulmonary vein VTI should also be measured.