What Is Stroke Volume Index?
Significance Heart attack image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery(‘#jsArticleStep1 span.image a:first’).attr(‘href’,’http://i.ehow.com/images/a06/ef/0r/stroke-volume-index_-1.1-800X800.jpg’); }); Stroke Volume Index measurements can save a life. Stroke volume and stroke volume index provide an early warning system for dangerous conditions in the body. The “Critical Care Nursing Textbook” states, “Stroke volume or index thus becomes the single most important piece of information regarding cardiac function…” The volume of blood the heart pumps out is essential to transport oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. In healthy adults, stroke volume changes according to activities, such as changing from a sitting or lying down position to standing upright. A heart rate increase will generally cause stroke volume to increase. For example, anxiety and excitement can increase the stroke volume by 50 to 100 percent, while exercise might increase it fiv