Why Apical Pulse Is Taken
Purpose. Listening to the Apical Pulse Is Basically Listening Directly to the Heart. It’s a Very Reliable and Noninvasive Way to Evaluate Cardiac Function...
Purpose. Listening to the apical pulse is basically listening directly to the heart. It’s a very reliable and noninvasive way to evaluate cardiac function. It’s also the preferred method for measuring heart rate in children.
Why would you take an apical pulse?
The apical pulse provides useful information about a person’s cardiac health. A doctor will usually measure the apical pulse as part of a cardiac exam. A person may receive a cardiac exam if they have a family history of heart disease or have been experiencing symptoms of heart disease.
What are indications for apical pulse measurements?
Apical pulse rate is indicated during some assessments, such as when conducting a cardiovascular assessment and when a client is taking certain cardiac medications (e.g., digoxin) (OER #1). Sometime the apical pulse is auscultated pre and post medication administration.
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