Control of cardiac function

An understanding of the core cardiovascular physiological principles is fundamental to delivering clinical care to patients. In order to successfully deliver oxygen and other nutrients to end organs whist eliminating waste products, cardiac output is manipulated through the control of heart rate, blood pressure, stroke volume, preload, afterload and contractility. Though controlled through intrinsic physiological mechanisms in health, the delivery of fluids, drugs, external/electrical stimulation and/or mechanical support can allow for optimization of cardiac function in disease. In this article, we outline these core principles and describe how cardiac function is controlled.