How is the mean arterial pressure calculated?

The mean arterial pressure (MAP) is an important metric that helps assess the overall blood flow and perfusion to vital organs, particularly during various physiological conditions. It is particularly relevant when evaluating a patient's hemodynamics.

The correct method for calculating MAP is as follows: the formula incorporates one-third of the systolic pressure plus two-thirds of the diastolic pressure. This is based on the understanding of the cardiac cycle, where the heart spends more time in diastole than in systole during a typical heartbeat. By giving greater weight to the diastolic value, this formula accurately reflects the average pressure in the arteries over one complete cardiac cycle.

Consequently, the MAP calculation is expressed as:

MAP = Diastolic Pressure + (1/3 of the Pulse Pressure)

Pulse Pressure is defined as the difference between systolic and diastolic pressures, which leads to the formula:

MAP = Diastolic Pressure + (1/3 × (Systolic - Diastolic)).

This simplifies to:

MAP = Diastolic + (Systolic - Diastolic)/3, which can also be expressed as:

MAP = (2 × Diastolic + Systolic) / 3.

Using the specific values in