|
Overview :
The ratio of the pulse pressure to the systolic blood
pressure (known as the proportional pulse pressure) can give an indication of
the cardiac index.
pulse pressure in mm Hg =
= (systolic blood pressure) – (diastolic blood pressure)
ratio of pulse pressure to systolic pressure =
= ((systolic blood pressure) – (diastolic blood pressure)) /
(systolic blood pressure) =
= 1 – ((diastolic blood pressure) / (systolic blood
pressure))
Interpretation:
• The normal ratio is around 0.42.
• A value
less than 0.25 indicates a low cardiac index and is associated with a poor
prognosis in a patient with congestive heart failure.
|