Adult Echocardiography Practice Exam

The term for the amount of blood ejected from the heart per heartbeat is known as stroke volume. This measurement is crucial in understanding cardiac function, as it reflects how effectively the heart can pump blood. Stroke volume is typically expressed in milliliters and is influenced by various factors including preload, afterload, and contractility of the heart muscle.

To further clarify the other terms: ejection fraction refers to the percentage of blood that is pumped out of the heart's ventricles with each contraction, which is derived from the stroke volume but offers a different perspective on heart efficiency relative to the total volume of blood in the ventricle. Cardiac output is the total volume of blood the heart pumps per minute, calculated by multiplying stroke volume by heart rate. Cardiac index, meanwhile, is the cardiac output normalized to body surface area, providing a more individualized measure of heart performance.

Understanding these distinctions fosters a more comprehensive grasp of cardiovascular physiology and helps in assessing heart health in clinical practice.