Episode 40: Cardiac Output

AI generated podcast from T.Piehl's lecture notes

Cardiac output (QT), the blood volume the heart pumps to the body, is normally 4-8 liters per minute. QT calculation uses heart rate and stroke volume (blood ejected per beat), and is crucial for assessing cardiovascular function. Several factors influence QT, including preload (ventricular stretch), afterload (resistance to ejection), and contractility (contraction strength). Measurement methods include dye dilution and thermodilution, with the Fick method considered the gold standard. Various clinical factors, such as age, gender, and body size, also affect QT.