Cardio| Cardiac Output Equations

1.01. Cardiac Output Equations Cardiovascular system reveiew for the USMLE Step 1 exam. Equations that describe cardiac output and cardiac performance Cardiac output (CO) is the amount of blood volume pumped by the heart per min, typically given in L/min CO is equal to stroke volume (SV) times heart rate (HR) SV is influenced by preload, afterload, and contractility Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (PP = SBP-DBP) High pulse pressure can be caused by stiffening of the major arteries Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is the average arterial pressure during one cardiac cycle MAP is equal to CO * TPR and MAP is equal to ⅔ DBP + ⅓ SBP Diastolic blood pressure contributes more to MAP than systolic pressure