Pulse deficit is defined as the difference between which two pulse rates?

Pulse deficit is defined as the difference between which two pulse rates?

• A. Apical rate and radial rate
• B. Carotid rate and femoral rate
• C. Brachial rate and pedal rate
• D. Radial rate and blood pressure reading

Answer: (A)

Pulse deficit compares the actual heartbeats to what you can feel at a peripheral pulse. It’s found by comparing the apical pulse rate, measured with a stethoscope at the apex of the heart, to the radial pulse rate, felt at the wrist. The deficit is the apical rate minus the radial rate. This difference happens when some heartbeats don’t produce a strong enough peripheral pulse, which can occur with irregular rhythms like atrial fibrillation or with weakened cardiac contractions. For example, if the apical rate is 100 beats per minute and the radial rate is 92, the pulse deficit is 8 bpm. The other pairings don’t define pulse deficit because they don’t compare the heart’s actual rate with the peripheral pulse: carotid and femoral aren’t the standard peripheral comparison, brachial and pedal aren’t the typical apical-versus-peripheral comparison, and radial rate isn’t paired with blood pressure readings to define a deficit.

Pulse deficit compares the actual heartbeats to what you can feel at a peripheral pulse. It’s found by comparing the apical pulse rate, measured with a stethoscope at the apex of the heart, to the radial pulse rate, felt at the wrist. The deficit is the apical rate minus the radial rate. This difference happens when some heartbeats don’t produce a strong enough peripheral pulse, which can occur with irregular rhythms like atrial fibrillation or with weakened cardiac contractions.

For example, if the apical rate is 100 beats per minute and the radial rate is 92, the pulse deficit is 8 bpm.

The other pairings don’t define pulse deficit because they don’t compare the heart’s actual rate with the peripheral pulse: carotid and femoral aren’t the standard peripheral comparison, brachial and pedal aren’t the typical apical-versus-peripheral comparison, and radial rate isn’t paired with blood pressure readings to define a deficit.