Pulse Flashcards
What is the normal pulse range for an adult?
Normal pulse range for an adult:
60 to 100 beats per minute
Will a child or infant’s pulse be higher or lower than an adult?
Higher
What is the term for a pulse that is lower than 60 beats per minute?
Bradycardia
What is tachycardia?
A pulse that is higher than normal, usually considered greater than 100 beats per minute is tachycardia.
Why would you never use your thumb to find a pulse?
You would never use your thumb to find a pulse because there is a pulse in your thumb which can be confused with the patients.
What does the ‘pulse wave’ represent?
The ‘pulse wave’ represents the stroke volume output and the amount of blood that enters the arteries with each ventricular contraction.
What is ‘compliance’?
Compliance is the ability of the arteries to contract and expand.
Why does the pressure required to pump blood increase in an older person?
As a person gets older the arteries lose their distensibility and greater pressure is required to pump blood into the arteries.
What is cardiac output? Provide the “Equation”?
Cardiac output is the volume of blood pumped into the arteries by the heart.
Cardia Output = Stroke Volume (SV) x Heart Rate (HR)
CO = SV x HR
What is stroke volume (SV)?
The amount of blood ejected with every cardia contraction.
If the stroke volume is 65 ml and the heart rate is 70 bpm, what is the cardiac output?
CO = SV x HR = 65 ml x 70 bpm = 4.55 L/min.
Is pulse and heartbeat rates always the same?
In a healthy person, the pulse rate reflects the heartbeat (i.e. the pulse rate = rate of ventricular contractions of the heart).
But in some cardiovascular diseases the heartbeat and pulse rate can differ.
What is a peripheral pulse point?
A peripheral pulse point is a pulse point located away from the heart, for example in the foot, neck or wrist.
Is the peripheral pulse point always detectable?
The peripheral pulse point (in the foot, neck or wrist) is not always detectable, for example in a case where the patient’s heart is very weak or has a small pulse wave.
What is an apical pulse?
An apical pulse is a central pulse point located at the apex of the heart.
What are the different type of pulse sites (9)?
Radial - readily available
Temporal - when radial pulse is unavailable
Carotid - During cardiac arrest/shock in adults this is important to assess to determine brain perfusion
Apical - infants and children up to 3 years of age.
Brachial - blood pressure
Femoral - cardiac arrest, measures blood flow to the extremities
Popliteal - circulation to lower leg
Posterior tibial - circulation to the foot
Dorsalis pedis - circulation to the foot
How do you measure pulse at the wrist?
Use two fingers, find the radial pulse along the thumb side of the wrist. Count each pulse for 30 secs while watching the second hand of a watch or clock.
E.g. if you counted 36 pulses, then HR = 36 x 2 = 72 beats per minute.
What do you do after you measure pulse?
Record the pulse according to your facility policies.
What factors affect the pulse rate?
Age Gender Exercise Fever Medications Hypovolemia Stress Positional Changes Pathology
What are two main reasons fever affects pulse rate?
Fever increases heart rate mainly due to:
a) response to lowered blood pressure from peripheral vasodilation
b) response to increased metabolic rate.
How does gender generally affect pulse rate?
After puberty, the average male’s pulse rate is slightly lower than females.
What affect does medication have on heart rate?
Medications can either increase or decrease heart rate.
How does Hypovolemia affect heart rate?
Generally loss of blood from the vascular system increases heart rate.
What does hypovolemia mean?
A decreased volume of circulating blood in the bod
How does stress affect heart rate?
In response to stress, sympathetic nervous stimulation can increase the overall activity of the heart.
What is pulse rhythm?
Pulse rhythm refers to the pattern of the beats and the intervals between the beats. Equal time elapses between the beats of a normal pulse.
A pulse with an irregular rhythm can be called (give two names)?
A dysrhythmia or arrhythmia.
What is pulse pressure (or you know it as blood pressure)?
The difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
