Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)

Introduction
Blood pressure benchmarks are linked to improve outcomes in several conditions, to include sepsis, stroke, trauma, hypertensive emergencies, and intracranial bleed. Clinical Guidelines often use either systolic blood pressure (SBP) or mean arterial pressure (MAP) as a blood pressure goal. However, several guidelines recommend a blood pressure adjustment based on MAP rather than SBP when there is a concern for appropriate organ perfusion. An example includes the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2021 Adult Guidelines.

Formula

The mean arterial pressure (MAP) is derived from a patient's systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). MAP is often recommended as a surrogate indicator of blood flow and may be a better indicator of tissue perfusion than SBP since two thirds of the cardiac cycle is spent in diastole. 

Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) = 1/3 * SBP + 2/3 * DBP

 Goals & Management (Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines Committee)

• A MAP ≥ 60 mm Hg: Required to maintain adequate tissue perfusion.

• A MAP ≥ 65 mm Hg: Recommended in the context of severe sepsis and septic shock.

Magder SA. The highs and lows of blood pressure: toward meaningful clinical targets in patients with shock. Crit Care Med. 2014 May;42(5):1241-51. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000000324. PMID: 24736333.