Cardiac output is defined as which of the following?

Cardiac output is defined as which of the following?

• A. The peak pressure in the left ventricle during systole
• B. The amount of blood present in the left ventricle at the end of diastole
• C. The amount of blood ejected from the heart in one contraction
• D. The amount of blood ejected by the heart in 1 minute

Answer: (D)

Cardiac output is the amount of blood the heart pumps each minute. It depends on two factors: heart rate (how often the heart beats) and stroke volume (how much blood is ejected with each beat). CO = heart rate × stroke volume, usually expressed in liters per minute. For example, about 70 beats per minute with a stroke volume around 70 mL per beat yields roughly 5 L/min. The other options describe the peak pressure generated during contraction, the volume in the ventricle at the end of filling, or the amount ejected per beat, not per minute. Only the per-minute total defines cardiac output.

Cardiac output is the amount of blood the heart pumps each minute. It depends on two factors: heart rate (how often the heart beats) and stroke volume (how much blood is ejected with each beat). CO = heart rate × stroke volume, usually expressed in liters per minute. For example, about 70 beats per minute with a stroke volume around 70 mL per beat yields roughly 5 L/min. The other options describe the peak pressure generated during contraction, the volume in the ventricle at the end of filling, or the amount ejected per beat, not per minute. Only the per-minute total defines cardiac output.