Cardiac output is the product of heart rate and stroke volume measured in liters per minute. Measurement of cardiac output is important for managing hemodynamically unstable patients by assessing cardiac preload and response to interventions. Methods for measuring cardiac output include thermodilution, Doppler ultrasound, echocardiography, Fick principle, impedance cardiography, and arterial pressure waveform analysis. Thermodilution involves injecting cold fluid and measuring downstream temperature change, while Doppler ultrasound and echocardiography use sound waves to evaluate blood flow noninvasively.