Pulse

Question 1

What is the pulse?

Answer 1

wave created by 5 Tbs. of blood being pumped into the arteries with every heartbeat.

Question 2

What are you measuring when you take pulse?

Answer 2

rate, rhythm, and amplitude

Question 3

Which pulse is taken as a quick screen of heart function?

Answer 3

checking radial pulse for 30 seconds

Question 4

How do you take a radial pulse?

Answer 4

1st 2 fingers compress radial artery against radius

Question 5

What is the normal adult resting rate range?

Answer 5

60-90 bpm

Question 6

What is the average adult resting rate?

Answer 6

72 bpm

Question 7

What is bradycardia?

Answer 7

less than 60 bpm

Question 8

What is tachycardia?

Answer 8

more than 100 bpm

Question 9

What is physiologic tachycardia?

Answer 9

normal response to exertion, anxiety, or elevated temperature, exercise and excitement.

Question 10

What is the rate for physiologic tachycardia?

Answer 10

10 bpm for every degree over 100

Question 11

What is pathologic tachycardia?

Answer 11

response to an oxygen deficit

Question 12

What examples can cause pathologic tachycardia?

Answer 12

anemia, hemorrhage, shock or congestive heart failure

Question 13

What is the normal rhythm like for pulse?

Answer 13

REGULAR, steady, consistent

Question 14

What are arrhythmias?

Answer 14

irregular heartbeats

Question 15

What kind of arrhythmias are there?

Answer 15

regular and irregular

Question 16

What are three common irregularities of pulse?

Answer 16

sinus arrhythmia
premature ventricular contraction (PVC)
atrial fibrillation

Question 17

Which pulse irregularity is common in children?

Answer 17

sinus arrhythmia

Question 18

What is sinus arrhythmia?

Answer 18

heart rate speeds up with each inspiration and slows again with expiration

Question 19

What is premature ventricular contraction?

Answer 19

ventricular depolarization occurs earlier than expected resulting in occasional skipped beats

Question 20

How can PVC show up?

Answer 20

a regular pattern of skips or

several sequential skips

Question 21

What is atrial fibrillation?

Answer 21

disorganized electrical activity in the atria accompanied by a rapid, irregular ventricular response.

Question 22

Atrial fibrillation is significant how?

Answer 22

usually accompanies pre-existing heart disease and necessitates emergency care

Question 23

What is characterized by alternation of pulsation of small amplitude with pulsation of large amplitude while the rhythm is regular?

Answer 23

pulsus alternans (alternating pulse)

Question 24

What is the best way to detect pulsus bisferiens?

Answer 24

palpation of the carotid artery

Question 25

What are the two main peak called in pulsus bisferiens?

Answer 25

percussion wave and second, tidal wave

Question 26

The first peak in pulsus bisferiens is believed to be what?

Answer 26

pulse pressure

Question 27

The second peak in pulsus bisferiens is believed to be what?

Answer 27

reverberation from the periphery

Question 28

Normal pulsation followed by a premature contraction is known as what?

Answer 28

bigeminal pulse

Question 29

What is the amplitude of the premature contraction like?

Answer 29

less than the normal pulsation

Question 30

This is characterized by an exaggerated decrease in the amplitude of pulsation during inspiration and increased amplitude during expiration?

Answer 30

paradoxic pulse (pulsus paradoxus)

Question 31

What is amplitude of the pulse?

Answer 31

perceive FORCE of the wave generated by blood being ejected from the left heart

Question 32

What is used to grade pulse amplitude?

Answer 32

a scale of 0-4

Question 33

pulse amplitude of 0 =

Answer 33

absence

Question 34

pulse amplitude of 1 =

Answer 34

weak, thread or feeble

Question 35

What kind of pressure stops the pulse in grade 1 amplitude?

Answer 35

light pressure

Question 36

pulse amplitude 2 =

Answer 36

expected or typical

Question 37

Does a light pressure stop the pulse in grade 2 amplitude?

Answer 37

no

Question 38

pulse amplitude of 3 =

Answer 38

full or increased

Question 39

T/F A firm pressure will stop the pulse in grade 3 amplitude?

Answer 39

FALSE

Question 40

pulse amplitude of 4 =

Answer 40

bounding, water-hammer

Question 41

What stops a grade 4 pulse amplitude?

Answer 41

only heavy pressure

Question 42

What is another name for a grade 4 amplitude pulse?

Answer 42

Corrigan pulse

Question 43

A healthy heart and arteries produce what sort of contour?

Answer 43

smooth, domed shape wave form

Question 44

Neural paresthesia affect:

Answer 44

all or part of a dermatome

Question 45

Vascular paresthesia is different that neural paresthesia how?

Answer 45

it crosses dermatomes

Question 46

Vascular paresthesia may present with:

Answer 46

a cooler and discolored extremity including cyanosis Amplitude may be diminished in that extremity capillary refill time may be greater than 2 seconds

Question 47

What are the palpable arteries for the head?

Answer 47

carotid and temporal

Question 48

What are the palpable arteries to the hands?

Answer 48

subclavian, brachial, and radial

Question 49

What are the palpable arteries to the feet?

Answer 49

femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial and dorsal pedis

Question 50

Bilateral pulses are compared for what?

Answer 50

amplitude and contour

Question 51

What is the expected finding in upper and lower extremities?

Answer 51

+2 bilaterally on a 0-4 scale

Question 52

Unequal amplitude between left and right extremities suggest ...?

Answer 52

impaired circulation on the low side.

Question 53

On peripheral vascular assessment, one side may feel weaker because and arterial lumen is ?

Answer 53

constricted, compressed, or turbulence within an aneurysm

Question 54

Constriction could be because what?

Answer 54

vasoconstriction, atherosclerosis, clot

Question 55

Compression could be because?

Answer 55

swollen lymph node, TOS - thoracic outlet syndrom, Pancost tumor

Question 56

What is a Pancost tumor?

Answer 56

lung tumor that forms at the top of the lungs

Question 57

Upper and lower extremity pulses are compared for what?

Answer 57

equal amplitude

Question 58

A strong radial and a weak or absent femoral pulse suggests what?

Answer 58

coarctation of the aorta | or some other form of constriction, compression, or obstuction

Question 59

What is another means of assessing for arterial compromise?

Answer 59

capillary refill time

Question 60

How do you check capillary refill time?

Answer 60

Blanch fingernail or toenail pressure for several seconds then release and time the return to full color.

Question 61

When assessing capillary refill time, what time indicates arterial compromise?

Answer 61

more than 2 seconds

Question 62

Arteries can also be auscultated for what?

Answer 62

bruit

Question 63

What is bruit?

Answer 63

a typically low pitch, pulsed, and relatively quiet sound

Question 64

What part of the stethoscope do you use in assessing bruit?

Answer 64

bell

Question 65

The presence of bruit suggests what?

Answer 65

compressed, constricted, or partially obstructed arterial lumen.

Question 66

How do you assess venous insufficiency?

Answer 66

patient is standing, inspect for swelling, varicosities, edema, erythema, and/or cyanosis...