Which two values are required to calculate cardiac output (CO) for a ventricle?

• A. Oxygen saturation and cardiac index
• B. End-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume
• C. Blood pressure and vascular resistance
• D. Stroke volume and heart rate

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of cardiac output (CO): Cardiac output is the volume of blood pumped by a ventricle per minute. It is a key measure of heart function and is calculated using stroke volume (SV) and heart rate (HR).
2. Define stroke volume (SV): Stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected by a ventricle during a single contraction. It is typically measured in milliliters (mL).
3. Define heart rate (HR): Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per minute. It is typically measured in beats per minute (bpm).
4. Use the formula for cardiac output: The formula to calculate cardiac output is CO = SV × HR. In MathML, this can be expressed as: $\mathrm{CO}=\mathrm{SV}\times \mathrm{HR}$
5. To calculate cardiac output, you need to know the stroke volume (SV) and heart rate (HR). Multiply these two values together to determine the cardiac output in milliliters per minute (mL/min).