In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an result of the heart beat. It can be felt in any position that allows for an artery to be condensed against a bone, such as at the neck (carotid artery), at the wrist (radial artery), behind the knee (popliteal artery), on the inside of the elbow (brachial artery), and close to the ankle joint (posterior tibial artery). The pulse rate can also be calculated by measuring the heart beats directly (the apical pulse).
Pulse is also used, though incorrectly, to denote the frequency of the heart beat, usually measured in beats per minute. Under certain conditions, including arrhythmias, some of the heart beats are ineffective, and the aorta is not stretched enough to create a palpable pressure wave. The pulse is too unequal and the heart rate can be (much) higher than the pulse rate. In this condition, the heart rate should be determined by auscultation of the heart apex, in which case it is not the pulse. The pulse shortfall (difference between heart beats and pulsations at the periphery) should be determined by simultaneous palpation at the radial artery and auscultation at the heart apex.
Pulse is also used, though incorrectly, to denote the frequency of the heart beat, usually measured in beats per minute. Under certain conditions, including arrhythmias, some of the heart beats are ineffective, and the aorta is not stretched enough to create a palpable pressure wave. The pulse is too unequal and the heart rate can be (much) higher than the pulse rate. In this condition, the heart rate should be determined by auscultation of the heart apex, in which case it is not the pulse. The pulse shortfall (difference between heart beats and pulsations at the periphery) should be determined by simultaneous palpation at the radial artery and auscultation at the heart apex.
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