Control of cardiac function: an overview

Publication date: Available online 7 April 2015 Source:Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine Author(s): Andrew Chaytor Cardiac output is the volume of blood ejected per ventricle per minute and is a measure of cardiac performance. It is the product of the strength of ventricular contraction, which determines how much blood is ejected (stroke volume), and the heart rate. Factors that control the force of contraction include the degree of myocardial stretch or Starling's Law, which is determined by venous return, and also the amount of cytosolic calcium present in muscle cells, which is influenced by sympathetic nerves and circulating catecholamines. Heart rate is also under the influence of the autonomic nervous system and circulating catecholamines. Forces opposing cardiac output include arterial blood pressure and, therefore, peripheral resistance to blood flow.
Source: Anaesthesia and intensive care medicine - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research