The hepatojugularometer was devised to
permit determination of the amount of
force applied over the hepatic area to elicit
the hepatojugular reflux and to allow this
force to be varied as desired.1 The degrees
of response to this test among different
persons and at different times in the same
person cannot be compared accurately unless at least the force applied to the hepatic
area is known.1 This problem was further
investigated by studying the responses of
a series of subjects with and without chronic congestive heart failure.
Materials and Methods
The hepatojugularometer was employed, as described previously,1 in 273 adult subjects: 138 men
and 72 women without chronic congestive heart
failure or edematous states and 42 men and 21
women with failure. All control subjects had a
venous pressure below 140 mm. H2O, and all patients with congestive heart failure, above this
level. While a known force was applied with both
hands to