We shall next evaluate our patient's jugular venous pulse, both the central venous pressure and the wave form. We can clearly see the undulating movement of the venous pulse, just on the inferolateral aspect of the sternocleidomastoid, and that movement is occurring at about the level of the sternal angle. Therefore, the estimated central venous pressure is 5 cm of water, or normal.

Now, we'll take a look at the contour of that jugular venous pulse and you can clearly see, when you time it with the carotid, that there is a dominant "a" wave just before systole, and a smaller "v" wave just after systole. Let's look together. [Cut-away].