A patient has a whole-body oxygen consumption of 320 ml/min and a measured CaO₂ - C $\over{V}$ O₂ of 8 ml/dl. What is the cardiac output?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cardiac output can be calculated using the Fick principle, which states that the cardiac output is equal to the total body oxygen consumption divided by the arteriovenous oxygen difference. Given an oxygen consumption of 320 ml/min and an arteriovenous oxygen difference ($\frac{C_aO_2 - C_vO_2}{V}$) of 8 ml/dl (which is 80 ml/L when converted to L for consistency), the cardiac output is $ \frac{320 ml/min}{80 ml/L} = 4 L/min$.

A Patient Has a Whole-Body Oxygen Consumption of 320 Ml/min V\over{V}V​

A Patient Has a Whole-Body Oxygen Consumption of 320 Ml/min $\over{V}$