The nurse is noticing an increasing afterload in a patient in the ICU. How does the increasing afterload affect cardiac output?
1. If afterload is high, cardiac output will be deceased due to high systemic vascular resistance.
2. If afterload is high, cardiac output will be increased due to the increased volume in the heart.
3. If afterload is high, cardiac output will be deceased due to decreased contractility.
4. If afterload is high, cardiac output will be increased because the heart rate increases during afterload.
If afterload is high, cardiac output will be deceased due to high systemic vascular resistance.
Rationale: Afterload measures the pressure that is needed to eject blood out of the heart. Systemic vascular resistance is the main factor that affects afterload. High resistance impedes flow and decreases cardiac output. Contractility may increase with high afterload to compensate for low stroke volume, or it may decrease if the patient decompensates. Either way, decreased contractility does not cause high afterload.
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