1 Prophylaxis against dexamethasone associated ulceration: 0.031-1.25 mg/kg/hr during dexamethasone therapy to maintain gastric pH >4.  Prophylaxis against stress ulceration: 2 mg/kg q12hr or 1.5 mg/kg IV q8hr; alternativley, 2 mg/kg over 10 min, followed by continuous infusion of 0.083 mg/kg/hr.
The heart is a muscular pump that pushes blood through blood vessels around the body. Essential to life, the heart beats continuously, pumping the equivalent of more than 14,000 litres of blood every day. Blood vessels form the living system of tubes that carry blood both to and from the heart.
The Role of Blood Vessels. Blood vessels carrying blood away from the heart are called arteries. They are the thickest blood vessels, with muscular walls that contract to keep the blood moving away from the heart and through the body. In the systemic circulation, oxygen-rich blood is pumped from the heart into the aorta.