Doctors use various techniques, such as ultrasound and cardiac catheterization, to measure stroke volume, which is the amount of blood pumped by the heart with each beat. Normal range is 60-130 milliliters per beat, and a low volume may indicate complications.
Doctors can use several techniques to measure stroke volume, which is the amount of blood ejected from one ventricle of the heart with each heartbeat. The left ventricle is usually the topic of interest. These measurements can include direct measurements of cardiac output and indirect tests involving the use of techniques such as ultrasound to obtain an accurate estimate of a patient’s stroke volume. When the volume is too low, it means the heart is not pumping enough blood with each beat and the patient may be at risk of complications.
Commonly, doctors express stroke volume in terms of milliliters per heartbeat. The number can vary according to gender, age and level of health. It usually falls between 60 and 130 milliliters per beat. A doctor can determine the normal range for a patient, given the medical history and other factors. This will be the baseline for determining if the patient’s volume is too low.
One option is through cardiac catheterization, in which a doctor threads a tube up to the heart. This can be done to perform a procedure on your heart and can also allow your doctor to measure your cardiac output. Your doctor can divide this measurement by your heart rate to determine your stroke volume. Cardiac catheterization is invasive and may not be recommended for all patients.
Ultrasonography and echocardiography provide another mechanism for measuring stroke volume. In this case, doctors subtract the measured end-systolic volume, the blood that remains in the heart after a beat, from the end-diastolic volume, the amount of blood present just before the heart beat. This provides a measure of how much the heart pumps with each beat. Ultrasounds and similar techniques rely on the use of Doppler shifts to measure the movement of blood. The accuracy of the test depends on the accuracy of the machine and the skill of the doctor.
A patient may also have an angiogram, an imaging study of the blood vessels and heart while they are in motion. Your doctor may inject a tracer dye to track the blood as it moves through your circulatory system and may be able to determine cardiac output as the dye moves and dilutes. This will allow you to determine the patient’s stroke volume through indirect measurement. The test also allows the doctor to spot vascular irregularities that may be contributing to the patient’s condition, such as weak or blocked blood vessels.
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