Hypotension on arrival on the CICU is most commonly due to hypovolaemia caused by venous pooling on transfer. There are a number of more serious causes that must be sought and treated if a fluid challenge, for example 250 ml of colloid over 5 minutes, does not improve matters. A quick test to confirm that hypo-volaemia is the cause of hypotension is to raise the patient’s legs, which should raise the blood pressure in seconds.