Physiology - cardiac output and how can it be changed

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Can anyone help me understand cardiac output? I know it is stroke volume x heart rate but I dont fully understand it. Thanks!

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Cardia output is the Volume of blood the heart pumps per minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsTorPkPDXE

above link is helpful.

Best of luck mate.

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Thanks!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

The components of cardiac output involve preload, afterload and contractility. Preload is what comes into the heart, afterload is the resistance against what goes out of the heart and contractility is the force of the contraction of the heart in its attempt to move the blood on through. Think of some things that will change each of these factors to help you understand how cardiac output is optimized.

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