Cardiac output: determinants, regulation and measurement
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Definition
Cardiac output is the volume of blood ejected by each ventricle per minute.
Normal cardiac output in adults is 5 to 6 L/min (approximately 8% of body weight).
Determinants of Cardiac Output
Cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate, its two immediate determinants.
Clinical
Cardiac output is the direct measure of each ventricle's pumping performance per minute, set jointly by the volume ejected per beat (stroke volume) and the number of beats per minute (heart rate).
High Yield
Cardiac output: volume of blood ejected by each ventricle per minute.
Cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate.
Normal adult cardiac output: 5 to 6 L/min, approximately 8% of body weight.