Which of the following measures would be utilized to determine cardiac output?

Determining cardiac output is essential for understanding the effectiveness of the heart in pumping blood throughout the body. Cardiac output is defined as the volume of blood the heart pumps per minute, and it can be calculated using the formula: Cardiac Output = Stroke Volume × Heart Rate.

In this context, stroke volume refers to the amount of blood ejected by the left ventricle with each heartbeat. Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats in one minute. By multiplying these two variables, one can effectively determine how much blood is being pumped by the heart in any given minute, which is a key indicator of overall cardiovascular health.

The other options incorporate elements related to cardiac function, but they do not directly address the measurement of cardiac output in the same straightforward manner. For instance, end systolic volume and heart rate reserve, venous return and heart rate, or ejection fraction and heart rate reserve involve factors that influence cardiac output but do not offer a direct calculation method. Therefore, stroke volume combined with heart rate serves as the most accurate measure for determining cardiac output.