This document discusses cardiac output and its measurement. It defines cardiac output as the amount of blood ejected by each ventricle per minute, which is calculated as stroke volume multiplied by heart rate. It describes several methods to measure cardiac output, including the indicator dye dilution method, thermodilution, and measurement of inhaled inert gases. It discusses factors that can cause cardiac output to vary, such as age, sex, environmental temperature, exercise, and various pathological conditions.