Mean Arterial Pressure

What is this formula?

The Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) formula estimates the average arterial pressure throughout a cardiac cycle. It represents the effective pressure driving blood flow to organs and tissues.

When to use it

Use this formula when evaluating tissue perfusion, cardiovascular function, shock states, hemodynamic stability, or critical care patients.

Example

Data:

SBP = 120 mmHg

DBP = 80 mmHg

Formula:

MAP = (SBP + 2 × DBP) / 3

Substitution:

MAP = (120 + 2 × 80) / 3

MAP = 280 / 3

Result:

MAP = 93.3 mmHg

The estimated mean arterial pressure is 93.3 mmHg.

Applications

- Critical care medicine

- Hemodynamic monitoring

- Cardiology

- Anesthesiology

- Shock assessment

Note

This formula is an approximation valid under normal resting heart rates, where diastole occupies approximately twice the duration of systole. At very high or very low heart rates, direct arterial waveform analysis provides a more accurate mean arterial pressure measurement.