Final answer:
Central venous pressure (CVP) is the pressure in the veins closest to the heart, reflecting blood return to the heart and the heart's pumping efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most accurate description of central venous pressure (CVP) is 'the pressure in the veins closest to the heart'. CVP is an important measure of right ventricular preload and reflects the amount of blood returning to the heart and the ability of the heart to pump the blood into the arterial system. It is usually monitored in critically ill patients using a catheter threaded into a central vein, most commonly the internal jugular or subclavian vein, to transmit pressures to external measuring devices.
Blood pressure within the vein, blood flow within the vein, and return of blood to the heart are all components related to CVP. Blood leaving the right ventricle flows to the lungs for gas exchange, and it is the resistance of the blood vessels and the condition of the cardiovascular system that affect CVP.