Central venous pressure (CVP), also known as mean venous pressure (MVP) is the pressure

of blood in the thoracic vena cava, near the right atrium of the heart. CVP reflects the amount of
blood returning to the heart and the ability of the heart to pump the blood into the arterial system.
CVP is often a good approximation of right atrial pressure (RAP),[1] however the two terms are
not identical, as right atrial pressure is the pressure in the right atrium. CVP and RAP can differ
when arterial tone is altered. This can be graphically depicted as changes in the slope of the
venous return plotted against right atrial pressure (where central venous pressure increases, but
right atrial pressure stays the same; VR = CVP-RAP).
CVP has been, and often still is, used as a surrogate for preload, and changes in CVP in response
to infusions of intravenous fluid have been used to predict volume-responsiveness (i.e. whether
more fluid will improve cardiac output). However, there is increasing evidence that CVP,
whether as an absolute value or in terms of changes in response to fluid, does not correlate with
ventricular volume (i.e. preload) or volume-responsiveness, and so should not be used to guide
intravenous fluid therapy.[2][3] Nevertheless, CVP monitoring is a useful tool to guide
hemodynamic therapy. The cardiopulmonary baroreflex responds to an increase in CVP by
decreasing total peripheral resistance while increasing HR and ventricular contractility in dogs.[4]