Final answer:
Mean arterial pressure is calculated by adding one-third of the pulse pressure to the diastolic pressure. Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mean arterial pressure is approximated by adding one-third of the pulse pressure to the diastolic pressure. The pulse pressure is defined as the difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures. For instance, if an individual's blood pressure is measured at 120 mm Hg systolic and 80 mm Hg diastolic, their pulse pressure would be 40 mm Hg (120 - 80 = 40). To approximate the mean arterial pressure (MAP), you would add one-third of the pulse pressure (which is 40 mm Hg / 3, approximately 13.33 mm Hg) to the diastolic pressure (80 mm Hg), which gives us a MAP of approximately 93.33 mm Hg.