Definition of Cardiac output

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Cardiac output: The amount of blood that is pumped by the heart per unit time, measured in liters per minute (l/min).

The amount of blood that is put out by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction is called the stroke volume. The stroke volume multiplied by the heart rate is the cardiac output.

A normal adult's heart can easily pump 5 quarts (4.7 liters) of blood a minute. That is the cardiac output, the amount of blood the heart pumps through the circulatory system in a minute.