PSIO 485 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Diastolic Heart Failure, Systolic Hypertension, Mean Arterial Pressure
26 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Blood pressure is necessary because it is the driving force for the movement of blood through the body. Vascular pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels and constitutes one of the principle vital signs. Blood pressure is the pressure of blood on the walls of vessels. It is highest in the aorta (arteries) and lowest in the vena cava (veins). Systolic is the pressure during systole, during contraction. Diastolic is the pressure during diastole, during relaxation. These numbers change throughout the day, depending on current activity. Pressure is techinically a wave, so the pressure decreases as the blood flows, or as the smooth muscle changes (vasodilation/vasoconstriction). Mean arterial pressure is the average pressure measured over one complete cardiac cycle. The average pressure responsible for driving blood forward into the tissues throughout the cardiac cycle. Co x total peripheral resistance = (hrxsv) x (co/map)
