Review of Pressure-Volume Analysis

The aim of this chapter is to review the key concepts of pressure-volume analysis, which is a powerful tool in cardiovascular physiology. Although not commonly used in clinical practice, pressure-volume analysis gives detailed quantitative information which is not available with other approaches. The time-varying elastance and its modifications are discussed extensively. Alternative approaches are also introduced and a brief mention is made about multiscale modelling. Ventricular-arterial coupling is developed in relation to its clinical applications.