A patient in the emergency department has blood pressure 130/70 mmHg. What is the mean arterial pressure?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 90 mmHg

  1. Step 1: MAP = (systolic + 2 x diastolic) / 3.
  2. Step 2: MAP = (130 + 2 x 70) / 3 = 90 mmHg.
Answer
90 mmHg.
Why not the others: '100 mmHg' averages systolic and diastolic pressure without weighting diastole; '110 mmHg' weights systole twice instead of diastole; '60 mmHg' is the pulse pressure, not the mean arterial pressure.

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