This metric represents the quantity of blood pumped out of the left ventricle of the center with every contraction, adjusted for physique dimension. It’s derived by dividing the stroke quantity (the amount of blood pumped per beat) by the physique floor space. For instance, a affected person with a stroke quantity of 70 mL and a physique floor space of 1.7 m would have an index of roughly 41 mL/m.
Evaluating this adjusted measure supplies a extra correct evaluation of cardiac operate than stroke quantity alone, because it accounts for variations in physique dimension. That is significantly essential in crucial care settings, the place sufferers might have important fluid shifts or variations in physique composition. Traditionally, utilizing physique floor space to normalize physiological measurements has been an ordinary follow, permitting for extra significant comparisons between people and facilitating extra correct prognosis and therapy choices.