The abdominojugular test, also known as abdominojugular reflux (AJR), is a physical examination test useful in diagnosing
right ventricle
A ventricle is one of two large chambers toward the bottom of the heart that collect and expel blood towards the peripheral beds within the body and lungs. The blood pumped by a ventricle is supplied by an atrium, an adjacent chamber in the upper ...
dysfunction, particularly
right ventricular failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, an ...
.
AJR is a test for measuring
jugular venous pressure
The jugular venous pressure (JVP, sometimes referred to as ''jugular venous pulse'') is the indirectly observed pressure over the venous system via visualization of the internal jugular vein. It can be useful in the differentiation of different fo ...
(JVP) through the
distention of the
internal jugular vein
The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve.
It begins in the post ...
. A positive AJR test correlates with the
pulmonary artery pressure and thus is a marker for right heart dysfunction,
specifically
right ventricular failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, an ...
.
''Reflux'' in this context means backup of the circulatory system and is not to be confused with
reflex
In biology, a reflex, or reflex action, is an involuntary, unplanned sequence or action and nearly instantaneous response to a stimulus.
Reflexes are found with varying levels of complexity in organisms with a nervous system. A reflex occurs ...
.
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Procedure
The patient is asked to lie down at 30 degrees with his/her head tilted 45 degrees to the left. Then an oblique light is used to illuminate the jugular region of the neck to help in identifying the in