cardiac output

Indications

• evaluation of heart failure

Reference interval

• 3-7 liters/min

Clinical significance

• in the absence of heart failure, the cardiac output is equal to the venous return
• it is the venous return that determines the cardiac output
• the venous return is determined in large part by the oxygen demand of tissue
• skeletal muscle activity normally accounts for most variance in cardiac output

Procedure

• stroke volume (SV) x heart rate (HR)

More general terms

• clinical procedure

Additional terms

• cardiac index
• heart rate
• stroke volume