00:00 / 00:00
With every heartbeat, the heart creates a wave, or pulse, that’s sent to arteries all over the body in order to deliver oxygenated blood to our organs and tissues. As a nurse you need to be able to obtain a pulse and determine its characteristics, including the pulse rate; rhythm; and amplitude, or character. Okay, you can calculate the pulse rate by counting the number of pulses in one minute. This is actually equal to the heart rate, or the number of times the heart beats per minute. Normal pulse rate varies among different age groups. So, for those 12 years of age or older, it’s typically between 60 and 100. For school-aged children between 5 and 12 years old, it’s 75 to 110. For preschoolers from three to five, it’s 80 to 120. Toddlers from one to three have a normal pulse rate of 80 to 130. Finally, infants under one year of age normally have the fastest pulse rate, which ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute. Besides age, the pulse rate can also be influenced by many factors, including physical activity; body temperature; emotions, like anger, fear, or stress; medications; or even the weather.
So, tachycardia is when the pulse rate is faster than normal, and this can occur in response to strenuous exercise, fever, pain, anxiety, or specific medications. In contrast, bradycardia means that the pulse rate is too slow and can be due to heart problems or various medications. Another important characteristic is the pulse rhythm, which is normally regular, meaning that the intervals between the beats are equal. In an irregular rhythm, also known as an arrhythmia, the beats do not follow an even tempo and some of them might even be skipped. An arrhythmia can be a result of heart problems or a complication of a heart attack or heart surgery. It can also be caused by problems with the balance of electrolytes, such as potassium, in the blood. Then there is the Pulse amplitude, or character, refers to how strong, forceful, or full the pulse is. A weak, thready, or feeble pulse is typically considered an emergency and could be an indication of low blood pressure, like when a client is bleeding, has a serious heart problem, or a blockage of a blood vessel. In contrast, a bounding pulse refers to a pulse that’s stronger than normal and could be caused by an abnormally forceful heartbeat.
Copyright © 2024 Elsevier, its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.