Which statement correctly defines cardiac output?

Which statement correctly defines cardiac output?

• A. Heart rate multiplied by stroke volume
• B. Blood pressure
• C. Mean arterial pressure
• D. End diastolic volume

Answer: (A)

Cardiac output is the volume of blood the heart pumps every minute. It is determined by multiplying how many times the heart beats each minute (heart rate) by how much blood is ejected with each beat (stroke volume). For example, a heart rate of 70 beats per minute with a stroke volume of about 70 mL per beat yields roughly 4,900 mL, or about 5 liters, of blood pumped each minute. This ties together the rate of beating and the amount pushed with each beat to show overall blood flow. Other options describe different aspects: blood pressure is the force blood exerts on vessel walls; mean arterial pressure is the average arterial pressure, not the amount of blood pumped; end diastolic volume is the ventricular volume at the end of filling ( preload ), not the output.

Cardiac output is the volume of blood the heart pumps every minute. It is determined by multiplying how many times the heart beats each minute (heart rate) by how much blood is ejected with each beat (stroke volume). For example, a heart rate of 70 beats per minute with a stroke volume of about 70 mL per beat yields roughly 4,900 mL, or about 5 liters, of blood pumped each minute. This ties together the rate of beating and the amount pushed with each beat to show overall blood flow.

Other options describe different aspects: blood pressure is the force blood exerts on vessel walls; mean arterial pressure is the average arterial pressure, not the amount of blood pumped; end diastolic volume is the ventricular volume at the end of filling ( preload ), not the output.