Question

If hemoglobin is saturated (1.3 mL of oxygen per gram) and there are 150 grams of hemoglobin per liter of blood, how much oxygen can be delivered to the tissue if cardiac output is 15 liters per minute?

Answer 1

Given the hemoglobin saturation level, hemoglobin concentration, and cardiac output, the blood can deliver 2925 mL of oxygen to the tissues per minute.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering how much oxygen can be delivered to tissues by the blood, it is necessary to know the hemoglobin concentration, the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin, and the cardiac output. Given that hemoglobin is fully saturated with oxygen at 1.3 mL per gram and the concentration of hemoglobin is 150 grams per liter of blood, we can calculate the oxygen delivery as follows:

First, calculate the amount of oxygen that 1 liter of blood can carry:

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• Oxygen carried by 1 g of hemoglobin = 1.3 mL
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• Oxygen carried by 150 g of hemoglobin = 1.3 mL/g × 150 g = 195 mL

So, 1 liter of blood can carry 195 mL of oxygen.

Next, calculate the total oxygen delivered by the cardiac output:

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• Cardiac output = 15 liters/minute
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• Total oxygen delivery per minute = 195 mL/L × 15 L/min = 2925 mL/min

Therefore, the blood can deliver 2925 mL of oxygen to the tissues every minute.