1. The Valsalva Maneuver—3 Centuries Later
Rick A. Nishimura, MD, A. Jamil Tajik, MD 
Mayo Clinic Proceedings 
Volume 79, Issue 4, Pages (April 2004)
DOI: /
Copyright © 2004 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Terms and Conditions

2. Figure 1
Aortic pressure tracing from a patient performing the Valsalva maneuver. During phase I, aortic pressure increases transiently because of an increase in intrathoracic pressure. In phase II, aortic pressure and pulse pressure decrease because of a gradual decline in preload in the left ventricle. In patients with normal left ventricular filling pressures, reflex tachycardia occurs during phase II due to activation of the baroreceptors. In phase III, aortic pressure declines further in response to release of the intrathoracic pressure. Phase IV is the recovery period in which preload in the left ventricle, aortic pressure, and pulse pressure increase.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings  , DOI: ( / )
Copyright © 2004 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Terms and Conditions