When considering the concepts r/t blood pressure, the nurse knows that the concept of mean arterial pressure (MAP) is best described by which statement?

A) MAP is the pressure of the arterial pulse.
B) MAP reflects the stroke volume of the heart.
C) MAP is the pressure forcing blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle.
D) MAP is an average of the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and reflects tissue perfusion.

MAP is the pressure that forces blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle. Stroke volume is reflected by the blood pressure. MAP is not an arithmetic average of systolic and diastolic pressures because diastole lasts longer; rather, it is a value closer to diastolic pressure plus one third of the pulse pressure. The best description of MAP is that it is the pressure that forces blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle.