12 Questions
What is an excessively fast heart rate referred to as?
Tachycardia
What is a heart rate in an adult of less than 60 BPM called?
Bradycardia
What is the term for a pulse rhythm with irregular beats?
Dysrhythmia or arrhythmia
What does pulse volume refer to?
Force of blood with each beat
When should the apical pulse be assessed?
For clients with certain cardiovascular disorders
Why should a nurse assess pulses bilaterally when determining the adequacy of blood flow to a particular area of the body?
To determine perfusion
What does it indicate when an apical pulse rate is greater than a radial pulse rate?
It can indicate that the thrust of the blood from the heart is too weak for the wave to be felt at the peripheral pulse site, or indicate that vascular disease is preventing impulses from being transmitted.
What is a pulse deficit?
A discrepancy between the apical and radial pulse rates.
Define systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.
Systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood during ventricular contraction, while diastolic pressure is the pressure when the ventricles are at rest.
What is the pulse pressure?
The difference between the diastolic and systolic pressures.
How is blood pressure recorded?
As a fraction, with systolic pressure over diastolic pressure (e.g., 120/80 mmHg).
Why is it important for a nurse to know a specific client's baseline blood pressure?
To monitor changes that could indicate health conditions or responses to treatment (e.g., before surgery).
Learn about assessing the pulse, including the rate, rhythm, volume, arterial wall elasticity, and bilateral equality. Explore terms like tachycardia for excessively fast heart rate and bradycardia for heart rate below 60 BPM in adults. Understand pulse rhythm and the intervals between beats.
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