Central Venous Pressure in Space

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Abstract
When a person enters zero gravity, a large amount of fluid (1 to 2 liters) shifts toward the head. The response to this shift includes the principal cardiovascular effects of spaceflight -- e.g., hypovolemia, dehydration, and postflight orthostatic intolerance1. On earth, a similar headward shift of fluid increases central venous pressure2; in space, however, peripheral antecubital venous pressure does not increase3,4. It is not known whether such peripheral measurements reflect central venous pressure. Only direct, continuous measurements recorded during a change from earth's gravity (1 g) to zero gravity can resolve these controversies. In June 1991, we directly measured central venous pressure in an astronaut on a space shuttle during the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Spacelab Life Sciences 1 flight. We hypothesized that the pressure would increase as a result of the headward fluid shift.

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