Which equation represents oxygen consumption?

The equation that represents oxygen consumption is accurately given as VO2 = CO x HgB x 1.36 x 10 x (SaO2 - SVO2). This equation underscores how oxygen delivery and consumption are intricately tied together in the human body.

To break this down, CO represents cardiac output, which is the volume of blood the heart pumps per minute. HgB refers to hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen. The factor of 1.36 relates to the amount of oxygen that can be carried by a gram of hemoglobin. The term (SaO2 - SVO2) represents the difference between arterial saturation of oxygen (SaO2) and venous saturation of oxygen (SVO2). This difference indicates how much oxygen has been extracted from the blood by tissues and is an essential measure of how much oxygen the body is consuming.

This entire equation effectively quantifies the total amount of oxygen consumed by the tissues based on blood flow (CO), the capacity for oxygen transport (given by HgB), and the efficiency of oxygen extraction, thus making it a comprehensive reflection of oxygen consumption in physiological terms.

In contrast, the other equations do not accurately provide a measure of oxygen consumption