What is the best indicator the nurse can use to determine the adequacy of a patient's cardiac output?
a. Stroke volume
b. Myocardial contractility
c. Afterload
d. Cardiac index
D
Cardiac index is a measure of adequacy of the cardiac output. It equals the cardiac output divided by the patient's body surface area. This calculation provides the caregiver with a more accurate calculation of blood flow by considering the patient's body surface area. Stroke volume (SV) is the amount of blood ejected from the ventricle with each contraction. The normal range for a healthy adult is 50 to 75 mL per contraction. Myocardial contractility is the ability of the heart to squeeze blood from the ventricles and prepare for the next contraction. This is difficult to measure because preload, afterload, and heart rate must remain constant. Afterload is the resistance to the ejection of blood from the left ventricle. The left ventricular pressure must be greater than the aortic pressure to eject blood from the heart.
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A) True B) False
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