Cardiac Output Calculator
Calculate cardiac output (CO) from heart rate and stroke volume.
What is Cardiac Output?
Cardiac output is the volume of blood the heart pumps per minute — the engine that delivers oxygen to every tissue. CO scales with body size and demand: it can rise from a resting 5 L/min to 25 L/min in well-trained athletes during maximal exercise. Low resting CO is a key feature of heart failure.
How is it calculated?
CO (L/min) = Heart Rate (bpm) × Stroke Volume (mL) / 1000. Normal adult range at rest: 4–8 L/min.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is CO measured clinically?
- Echocardiography or thermodilution catheter.
- Does CO change with age?
- Maximum CO drops about 1% per year after age 25.
- CO vs Cardiac Index — which is better?
- CI normalises for body size and is preferred clinically.