Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills - Vital Signs Related

Review Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills - Vital Signs related questions and content

Upon assessing the vital signs of a 56-year-old male, you find that he has an apical pulse of 71 bpm and a radial pulse of 62 bpm. Which of the following numbers would be correct to document as the pulse deficit?

  • B. 3
  • C. 7
  • D. 9
  • E. 133
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Pulse deficit is the difference between apical (71) and radial (62) pulses, which is 9.