Pulse

Question 1

Number of times the heart 
beats in one minute
 Indicates how well the 
blood is circulating 
throughout the body
 Can feel the pressure of 
blood against the wall of the 
artery as the heart contracts 
and relaxes

Answer 1

Pulse

Question 2

Rate - # of pulse beats per minute
Rhythm - Is the pulse regular?  
Steady? Or does it skip beats?
Arrythmia (uneven 
intervals) – Does the pulse have 
uneven intervals between pulses or 
heartbeats?  Usually caused by a defect 
in the electrical conduction pattern of the 
heart.
Force of beat (weak, 
thready, bounding)

Answer 2

Pulse Characteristics

Question 3

---exercise
 ---illness
 ---anxiety
 ---medication
 ---shock

Answer 3

Factors that increase pulse rate

Question 4

–high level of aerobic
fitness
 —depression
 —medication

Answer 4

Factors that decrease pulse rate

Question 5

Hemorrhage – large amount of bleeding.
Tachycardia – abnormally fast heartbeat.
Bradycardia – abnormally slow heartbeat.
Arrhythmia – absence of rhythm.
Pulsation – rhythmic beat.
Thready – weak, barely felt pulse; thin, like a thread
Bounding – leaping, strong, or forceful
Apex - pointed end of something (e.g., the pointed end of the
heart is called the apex of the heart).

Answer 5

Medical terminology for pulse

Question 6

Temporal
 Radial
 Brachial
 Carotid
 Apical
 Femoral
 Popliteal
 Dorsalis pedis

Answer 6

Pulse points of the body

Question 7

AGE RATE
Before birth 140-150
At birth 90-160
First year of life 115-130
Childhood years 80-115
Adult 60-80

Answer 7

Normal pulse rates

Question 8

An electronic device that determines oxygen
concentration in hemoglobin of arterial blood
 When oxygen concentration falls below 90%,
tissues do not have enough oxygen to function
 Oxygen content assessment is extremely important
for cardiac and respiratory patients
 Oximeter – electronic device using a sensor on
earlobe or finger to measure oxygen concentration

Answer 8

Pulse oximetry