Assessment of Cardiac Function—Basic Principles and Approaches

Increased access and ability to visualize the heart has provided a means to measure a myriad of cardiovascular parameters in real or near real time. However, without fundamental knowledge regarding the basis for cardiac contraction and how to evaluate cardiac function in terms of loading conditions and inotropic state, appropriate interpretation of these cardiovascular parameters can be difficult and can lead to misleading conclusions regarding the functional state of the cardiac muscle. Thus, in this series of Comprehensive Physiology, the basic properties of cardiac muscle function, the cardiac cycle, and determinants of pump function will be reviewed. These basic concepts will then be integrated by presenting approaches in which the effects of preload, afterload, and myocardial contractility can be examined. Moreover, the utility of the pressure-volume relation in terms of assessing both myocardial contractility as well as critical aspects of diastolic performance will be presented. Finally, a generalized approach for the assessment and interpretation of cardiac function within the intact cardiovascular system will be presented.