A patient at termination of ECC presenting with high blood pressure, high filling pressure, and high stroke volume is likely:

When a patient at the termination of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) exhibits high blood pressure, high filling pressures, and high stroke volume, this indicates that the heart is under significant stress due to an excessive volume of blood returning to it. In this scenario, the cardiovascular system's response to an overload of fluid is observable.

The presence of high filling pressures suggests that the heart's chambers, especially the ventricles, are receiving more blood than they can effectively manage, resulting in elevated pressure within the chambers. This situation often leads to increased stroke volume, as the heart attempts to cope with the volume overload, manifesting as elevated blood pressure. Essentially, the cardiovascular system is responding to increased preload, which can push the heart into a state of over-distension, leading to further complications if not addressed.

This understanding helps clarify why an assessment that describes the patient as "too full" aligns with the physiological responses observed. It reflects a condition known as hypervolemia, wherein excessive fluid in the circulatory system forces the heart to work harder, raising both blood pressure and filling pressures.

While there may be components like systemic vascular resistance affecting the readings, the core issue here stems from volume overload rather than a primary increase in vascular resistance. Similarly,