Wedge Pressure in Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease

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Abstract
To the Editor: The measurement of pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, or "wedge" pressure, is performed frequently and provides important physiologic information.1 In a recent clinicopathological conference, considerable discussion focused on the finding of a normal wedge pressure in a patient with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (May 29 issue).2 This circumstance is confusing only if the wedge pressure is assumed to be equivalent to pulmonary capillary pressure — a common misconception that is abetted by the frequent use of the phrase "pulmonary capillary wedge pressure" in the medical literature.In fact, wedge pressure as commonly measured is not equivalent to pulmonary capillary . . .

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