DO2 calculation: CO = 4 L/min and CaO2 = 18 mL/dL. DO2?

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DO2 calculation: CO = 4 L/min and CaO2 = 18 mL/dL. DO2?

Oxygen delivery to the tissues depends on how much blood the heart moves each minute and how much oxygen each unit of that blood carries. The formula DO2 = CO × CaO2 × 10 converts the arterial oxygen content (per deciliter) to a per-liter basis to match CO (in liters per minute). So you multiply the cardiac output by the arterial O2 content and then multiply by 10. Plugging in CO = 4 L/min and CaO2 = 18 mL/dL: DO2 = 4 × 18 × 10 = 720 mL O2 per minute. This shows why the result is 720: it’s the product of the flow of blood and the oxygen carried per volume, with the unit conversion applied. Misplacing or omitting the ×10 factor would give an incorrect value.

Oxygen delivery to the tissues depends on how much blood the heart moves each minute and how much oxygen each unit of that blood carries. The formula DO2 = CO × CaO2 × 10 converts the arterial oxygen content (per deciliter) to a per-liter basis to match CO (in liters per minute). So you multiply the cardiac output by the arterial O2 content and then multiply by 10.

Plugging in CO = 4 L/min and CaO2 = 18 mL/dL: DO2 = 4 × 18 × 10 = 720 mL O2 per minute.

This shows why the result is 720: it’s the product of the flow of blood and the oxygen carried per volume, with the unit conversion applied. Misplacing or omitting the ×10 factor would give an incorrect value.

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