• Russell R Miller and E Wesley Ely.
• Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy/Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-8300, USA. russell.miller@vanderbilt.edu
• Curr Opin Crit Care. 2006 Jun 1;12(3):255-62.

Purpose Of ReviewA valid, low-cost, high-yield instrument to assess intravascular volume status in critically ill patients does not exist. The portable chest X-ray is a common part of any intensivist's or chest clinician's daily rounds.Recent FindingsA simple, objective, valid measure of intravascular volume status, the vascular pedicle width, remains underappreciated in the medical literature. While more invasive, more expensive, and less common technologies are looked upon to assist in the clinical evaluation of volume status among critically ill patients, the vascular pedicle width stands alone in its low-cost, nearly risk-free potential to impact clinical practice. Even as the daily chest X-ray has become less common in practice, the role of measuring vascular pedicle width is potentially significant, particularly among mechanically ventilated patients. A standardized approach to reading the portable chest X-ray (supine or erect) is needed to facilitate interpretation of complex medical problems among the critically ill. Prospective evaluation of its appropriate use, particularly as compared with other, typically more invasive measures of intravascular volume, is warranted.SummaryVascular pedicle width measurement using a standardized approach to daily chest X-ray interpretation represents untapped potential for improving the non-invasive assessment of volume status in critically ill patients.

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