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Calculates Mean Arterial Pressure from systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Clinical decision-support tool for qualified healthcare professionals. Results are not a diagnosis and should not replace professional clinical judgment.
Mean arterial pressure (MAP) is the time-weighted average of arterial pressure over one cardiac cycle. Because the cardiac cycle spends more time in diastole than systole, diastolic pressure is weighted twice as heavily as systolic pressure in the common approximation MAP = (SBP + 2 × DBP) / 3. MAP is used as a practical index of the average pressure driving perfusion of vital organs. In hemodynamically unstable patients, MAP is frequently used to set blood pressure targets—for example, a commonly cited minimum perfusion target in sepsis and septic shock is 65 mmHg, with higher targets sometimes considered for patients with chronic hypertension. The formula does not incorporate heart rate or the shape of the arterial waveform, so it is an approximation that is less reliable with arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, marked tachycardia, or very wide pulse pressures. A single MAP value does not confirm adequate cardiac output, intravascular volume, or tissue perfusion. It should be interpreted together with blood pressure trends, urine output, mentation, lactate, and skin perfusion rather than as an isolated number.
Specialty
Emergency MedicineCategory
CardiologyDifficulty
Basic
Estimated Time
30 seconds
Version
1.0
Last Updated
2026-08-06
Formula
Keywords
Normal Range
70-100 mmHg
Calculates mean arterial pressure (MAP), the average pressure driving perfusion of vital organs, from systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Mean arterial pressure is estimated as MAP = (SBP + 2 x DBP) / 3, weighting diastolic pressure twice because the cardiac cycle spends roughly twice as long in diastole as in systole.
Systolic blood pressure in mmHg, counted once in the numerator.
Diastolic blood pressure in mmHg, counted twice in the numerator.
Normal resting MAP is approximately 70–100 mmHg. In sepsis and septic shock, a MAP ≥ 65 mmHg is a commonly cited target to support organ perfusion. Very low MAP raises concern for organ hypoperfusion, while the optimal target varies with the patient's baseline blood pressure and condition.
MAP reflects the driving pressure for organ perfusion more closely than systolic or diastolic pressure alone and is a central parameter in resuscitation and vasopressor management.
A 60-year-old man with septic shock has a blood pressure of 90/60 mmHg.
Inputs:
Expected Result: MAP = (90 + 2 × 60) / 3 = 70 mmHg, meeting the commonly cited ≥ 65 mmHg perfusion target in sepsis.
Normal resting MAP is approximately 70-100 mmHg. In sepsis and septic shock, a MAP of 65 mmHg or more is a commonly cited target to support organ perfusion.
MAP = Diastolic BP + 1/3 x (Systolic BP - Diastolic BP). This is an approximation; direct arterial measurement provides a more accurate value.
No. MAP is the average arterial pressure. Perfusion pressure also depends on venous pressure and cardiac output. A normal MAP does not guarantee adequate tissue perfusion.
Disclaimer: This calculator is intended for educational and clinical decision support purposes only. MAP targets should be individualized based on clinical context and institutional protocols.