Overview
Introduction
At the bedside, hemodynamics is the relationship between arterial pressure, forward blood flow, and the adequacy of tissue perfusion.
At the bedside, hemodynamics is the relationship between arterial pressure, forward blood flow, and the adequacy of tissue perfusion. The practical question is not simply whether the blood pressure is normal; it is whether the heart is delivering enough blood and oxygen to the brain, kidneys, skin, and other organs. A patient with a MAP of 72 mm Hg may still have cool mottled skin, a capillary refill time of 5 seconds, falling urine output, and a rising lactate. Those findings suggest that compensatory vasoconstriction is preserving pressure while flow is failing. Assess the trend, identify the likely shock pattern, act within scope, and reassess the patient's response after every intervention.