Calculators · Critical Care · Formula
Mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure
Also called MAP, pulse pressure, PP, mean BP
Estimated MAP from cuff systolic and diastolic pressures (one-third rule and Meaney 0.412 variant), with pulse pressure.
Fill 2 more fields to see the result.
Formula and scoring
PP = SBP − DBP. MAP ≈ DBP + PP/3 (conventional). Meaney 2000 proposed DBP + 0.412 × PP from comparison with electronically damped MAP.
Exam and ward pearls
- Meaney derived the 0.412 multiplier by comparing cuff estimates with electronically damped MAP; the classic multiplier is 0.333.
When not to rely on it
- Both formulas estimate MAP from two cuff numbers; an arterial line measures it directly.
Source
- Meaney E, et al. Formula and nomogram for the sphygmomanometric calculation of the mean arterial pressure. Heart. 2000;84(1):64. doi:10.1136/heart.84.1.64 · PMID 10862592
- Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016;315(8):801-10. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.0287 · PMID 26903338
Formula and cut-offs checked against these sources on 8 Nov 2026. Educational tool for clinicians; it does not replace clinical judgement.
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