Apex - radial pulse deficit
- atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that can result in a rapid, irregular heart rate
- this may cause an apex-radial pulse deficit, because each ventricular contraction may not be sufficiently strong to transmit an arterial pulse wave through the peripheral artery
- therefore assessment of the radial pulse in isolation will not be an accurate reflection of the actual heart rate. Other causes for an apex-radial pulse deficit include atrial flutter
- in the absence of cardiac monitoring, the assessment of the apex beat (together with the radial pulse) is an important aspect of the assessment of the patient with AF
- therefore assessment of the radial pulse in isolation will not be an accurate reflection of the actual heart rate. Other causes for an apex-radial pulse deficit include atrial flutter
- this may cause an apex-radial pulse deficit, because each ventricular contraction may not be sufficiently strong to transmit an arterial pulse wave through the peripheral artery
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.