Indices of Cardiac Status

A review of various indices of cardiac status and ventricular performance is presented. Different physical modalities used to measure cardiovascular characteristics are discussed and the methods of elucidating quantitative indices from these measurements are described. Emphasis is placed on cardiac mechanics and a force-velocity-length description of the left ventricle. Finally, indices are derived from simple hemodynamic measurements when these are combined with equivalent network and dynamic shell models of the heart.