What is a Pulsus alternans?
Pulsus alternans is an arterial pulse with alternating strong and weak beats. It is found in the setting of severe ventricular dysfunction and other forms of cardiac pathology.
How do you find Pulsus alternans?
Next use a blood pressure cuff to confirm the finding: Inflate the blood pressure cuff past systolic pressure and then slowly lower cuff pressure towards the systolic level. If alternating loud & soft Korotkoff sounds are heard, pulsus alternans is indicated.
Why are there Pulsus alternans?
Pulsus alternans (during pulse palpation, this is the alternation of one strong and one weak beat without a change in the cycle length) occurs most commonly in heart failure due to increased resistance to LV ejection, as occurs in hypertension, aortic stenosis, coronary atherosclerosis, and dilated cardiomyopathy.
What is Dicrotic pulse?
The dicrotic pulse is an abnormal carotid pulse found in conjunction with certain conditions characterised by low cardiac output. It is distinguished by two palpable pulsations, the second of which is diastolic and immediately follows the second heart sound.
What is biphasic pulse?
Pulsus bisferiens, also known as biphasic pulse, is an aortic waveform with two peaks per cardiac cycle, a small one followed by a strong and broad one. It is a sign of problems with the aorta, including aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation, as well as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causing subaortic stenosis.
What is a jerky pulse?
jerky pulse one in which the artery is suddenly and markedly distended. paradoxical pulse one that markedly decreases in amplitude during inhalation, as often occurs in constrictive pericarditis. pistol-shot pulse Corrigan’s pulse.
Why are electrical alternans in tamponade?
Electrical alternans, i.e. alternating QRS voltage, is a specific but insensitive ECG finding of a large pericardial effusion with tamponade. It is caused by mechanical anterior–posterior swinging of the heart in the large fluid and is frequently seen in malignant causes such as metastatic lung or breast cancer.
How do you treat electrical alternans?
Direct treatment toward correction of the underlying cause of electrical alternans, such as optimizing heart failure or anti-ischemic regimens in patients with cardiomyopathy or coronary disease. In the setting of long QT syndrome (LQTS), remove the offending drugs and correct concomitant dyselectrolytemias.