pulse pressure

Examples of pulse pressure in the following topics:

• Pulse

  • The pulse is the physical expansion of an artery generated by the increase in pressure associated with systole of the heart.
  • Pulse varies with age; a newborn or infant can have a heart rate of about 130-150 bpm.
  • The heart rate may be greater or less than the pulse rate depending upon physiologic demand.
  • Radial pulse is commonly measured using three fingers: the finger closest to the heart used to occlude the pulse pressure, the middle finger used get a crude estimate of blood pressure, and the finger most distal to the heart used to nullify the effect of the ulnar pulse as the two arteries are connected via the palmar arches.
  • Measurement of the pulse can occur at several locations, including the radial artery shown here.

• Measuring Blood Pressure

  • Measurement of blood pressure includes systolic pressure during cardiac contraction and diastolic pressure during cardiac relaxation.
  • Blood pressure is the pressure blood exerts on the arterial walls.
  • These pressures, called segmental blood pressures, are used to evaluate blockage or arterial occlusion in a limb (for example, the ankle brachial pressure index).The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressure is called the pulse pressure.
  • A blood pressure cuff and associated monitor used for determining systolic and diastolic pressures within an artery.
  • Explain how blood pressure is measured and the ranges of blood pressure readings

• Checking Circulation

  • Checking circulation involves measurement of blood pressure and pulse through a variety of invasive and noninvasive methods.
  • Radial pulse is commonly measured using three fingers: the finger closest to the heart is used to occlude the pulse pressure, the middle finger is used to get a crude estimate of blood pressure, and the finger most distal to the heart is used to nullify the effect of the ulnar pulse as the two arteries are connected via the palmar arches.
  • For each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between systolic and diastolic pressures.
  • Along with body temperature, respiratory rate, and pulse rate, blood pressure is one of the four main vital signs routinely monitored by medical professionals and healthcare providers.
  • The pressure at which this sound is first heard is the systolic blood pressure.

• Arterial Blood Pressure

  • The measurement of blood pressure without further specification usually refers to systemic arterial pressure measured at the upper arm.
  • The measurement of blood pressure without further specification usually refers to the systemic arterial pressure, defined as the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels.
  • Pressure is typically measured with a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer) wrapped around a person's upper arm, which measures the pressure in the brachial artery.
  • A person's blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure over diastolic pressure and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), for example 140/90.
  • In the past, most attention was paid to diastolic pressure, but now we know that both high systolic pressure and high pulse pressure (the numerical difference between systolic and diastolic pressures) are also risk factors for disease.

• Artery Function

  • Arteries are high-pressure blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to all other tissues and organs.
  • Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart under pressure.
  • In arteries, the tunica media, which contains smooth muscle cells and elastic tissue, is thicker than that of veins so it can modulate vessel caliber and thus control and maintain blood pressure.
  • Arterial pressure varies between the peak pressure during heart contraction, called the systolic pressure, and the minimum or diastolic pressure between contractions, when the heart expands and refills.
  • This pressure variation within the artery produces the observable pulse that reflects heart activity.

• Cardiac Cycle

  • These properties allow the arterial wall to distend when pressure increases, resulting in a pulse that can be detected by touch.
  • The pulse is the most straightforward way of measuring the heart rate, but it can be a crude and inaccurate measurement when cardiac output is low.
  • In these cases (as happens in some arrhythmias), there is little pressure change and no corresponding change in pulse, and the heart rate may be considerably higher than the measured pulse.
  • Systolic blood pressure is always higher than diastolic blood pressure, generally presented as a ratio in which systolic blood pressure is over diastolic blood pressure.
  • Pressures higher than that range may indicate hypertension, while lower pressures may indicate hypotension.

• Introduction to Blood Pressure

  • Blood pressure is the pressure that blood exerts on the wall of the blood vessels.
  • Systolic pressure is thus the pressure that your heart emits when blood is forced out of the heart and diastolic pressure is the pressure exerted when the heart is relaxed.
  • During each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure.
  • A normal blood pressure should be around 120/80, with the systolic pressure expressed first.
  • Blood pressure and pulse, or the vital signs, are measured as indicators of several aspects of cardiovascular health.

• Velocity of Blood Flow

  • Blood flow is a pulse wave that moves out from the aorta and through the arterial branches, then is reflected back to the heart.
  • Movement of blood throughout the circulatory system is created by differences in pressure generated by the pumping of the heart.
  • Pressure is greatest immediately after exiting the heart and drops as it circulates around the body, particularly through the arterioles and capillary networks.
  • A greater difference in pressure results in a greater velocity assuming all else remains equal, so when increased blood flow is required the heart can pump more quickly and also in larger volume.
  • As resistance increases the difference in pressure which influences velocity decreases, which in turn reduces flow.

• Signs and Symptoms of Shock

  • Typical symptoms of shock include elevated but weak heart rate, low blood pressure, and poor organ function, typically observed as low urine output, confusion or loss of consciousness.
  • This leads to a rapid, weak pulse due to decreased blood flow combined with tachycardia, stimulation of vasoconstriction, and cool, clammy skin.
  • With anaphylaxis, hives may present on the skin, and there may localized edema, especially around the face, and weak and rapid pulse.

• Elastic Arteries

  • Elastic arteries contain larger numbers of collagen and elastin filaments in their tunica media than muscular arteries do, giving them the ability to stretch in response to each pulse.
  • Arterial elasticity gives rise to the Windkessel effect, which through passive contraction after expansion helps to maintain a relatively constant pressure in the arteries despite the pulsating nature of the blood flow from the heart.
  • Due to position as the first part of the systemic circulatory system closest to the heart and the resultant high pressures it will experience, the aorta is perhaps the most elastic artery, featuring an incredibly thick tunica media rich in elastic filaments.
  • This stretching generates the potential energy that will help maintain blood pressure during diastole, when the aorta contracts passively.