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Multiple Choice

DO2 is calculated as the product of cardiac output and which arterial oxygen content term?

Oxygen delivery (DO2) depends on how much blood the heart pumps and how much oxygen that blood can carry. The key is the amount of O2 carried in arterial blood, called CaO2. DO2 is calculated by multiplying cardiac output by arterial O2 content (CaO2), with a conversion factor to match units: DO2 = CO × CaO2 × 10. CO is in liters per minute, CaO2 is in milliliters of O2 per deciliter, and the factor 10 converts deciliters to liters, giving DO2 in milliliters of O2 per minute. So the value you’re after comes from CaO2 because it represents the oxygen load available to be delivered to tissues per unit of blood. CaO2 itself reflects O2 bound to hemoglobin plus dissolved O2 in plasma, with the bound portion being the major contributor. If CaO2 is higher or CO is higher, DO2 increases, improving tissue oxygen delivery. PvO2 describes venous oxygen tension and isn’t part of the arterial oxygen content term. FiO2 is the fraction of inspired oxygen, which influences CaO2 indirectly but isn’t the arterial content term itself. CaCO2 isn’t a standard arterial oxygen content term.

Oxygen delivery (DO2) depends on how much blood the heart pumps and how much oxygen that blood can carry. The key is the amount of O2 carried in arterial blood, called CaO2. DO2 is calculated by multiplying cardiac output by arterial O2 content (CaO2), with a conversion factor to match units: DO2 = CO × CaO2 × 10. CO is in liters per minute, CaO2 is in milliliters of O2 per deciliter, and the factor 10 converts deciliters to liters, giving DO2 in milliliters of O2 per minute. So the value you’re after comes from CaO2 because it represents the oxygen load available to be delivered to tissues per unit of blood.

CaO2 itself reflects O2 bound to hemoglobin plus dissolved O2 in plasma, with the bound portion being the major contributor. If CaO2 is higher or CO is higher, DO2 increases, improving tissue oxygen delivery.

PvO2 describes venous oxygen tension and isn’t part of the arterial oxygen content term. FiO2 is the fraction of inspired oxygen, which influences CaO2 indirectly but isn’t the arterial content term itself. CaCO2 isn’t a standard arterial oxygen content term.