The Fick principle, as applied to cardiac output, relies on the recognition that the total uptake of oxygen by the peripheral tissues is equal to the product of the blood flow to the peripheral tissues and the arterial-venous oxygen concentration difference. Cardiac output is therefore calculated using the formula:
The Fick principle states that blood flow to an organ can be calculated using a marker substance if the following information is known: Amount of marker substance taken up by the organ per unit time Concentration of marker substance in arterial blood supplying the organ Concentration of marker substance in venous blood leaving the organ Developed by Adolf Eugen Fick (1829–1901), the Fick ...
The Cardiac Output Calculator (Fick’s Formula) helps estimate the heart’s pumping efficiency by calculating the volume of blood the heart delivers per minute. It is commonly used in clinical settings to assess cardiac function and guide treatment decisions. Accurate cardiac output measurement is essential for managing critically ill patients and optimizing medical treatment.
This Fick cardiac output calculator estimates the blood volume in mL per minute that the heart pumps in circulation from the left ventricle.
Enter VO₂, CaO₂, and CvO₂ to instantly calculate cardiac output, cardiac index, and oxygen delivery using the gold-standard Fick equation.
Fick's principle can be summarised as " the total uptake of (or release of) a substance by the peripheral tissues is equal to the product of the blood flow to the peripheral tissues and the arterial-venous concentration difference (gradient) of the substance". In other words, CO = VO2 / (Ca - Cv). This principle underlies the gold standard of measuring cardiac output. The indirect version of ...