Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Measuring the Apical Pulse
• Method 2 of 3: Interpreting Received Data
• Method 3 of 3: Learn more about your heart rate
• Tips

The apical pulse is the heart rate measurement point at the apex of the heart. The heart of a healthy person is located in such a way that its apex is on the left side of the chest and is facing down and to the left. It is also sometimes called the "apical impulse point". To measure the apical pulse, you need to know how to find it and how to interpret your observations after taking the pulse.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Measuring the Apical Pulse

1. 1 Find the first rib from the collarbone. Feel for the collarbone. It can be felt in the upper chest. You will find the first rib directly under the collarbone. The space between the two ribs is called the intercostal space.
   • Find the first intercostal space - the gap between the first and second ribs.
2. 2 Count the ribs as you descend below. From the first intercostal space, move to the fifth, for this, count the ribs. The fifth intercostal space is located between the fifth and sixth ribs.
3. 3 Draw an imaginary line from the middle of the left collarbone through the nipple. This is called the midclavicular line. The apical pulse can be felt at the intersection of the fifth intercostal space and the midclavicular line.
4. 4 Decide if you will be using your hands or using a stethoscope. Apical pulse can be measured by hand or with a stethoscope. The apical pulse can be very difficult to feel, especially in women, because breast tissue may be located over the point where the pulse can be felt. In this case, it will be easier with a stethoscope.
5. 5 Prepare your stethoscope. Remove the stethoscope from the neck and attach the diaphragm to the patient's body (the flat part of the stethoscope, which should be positioned over the patient's pulse), and put on the olives.
   • Rub the diaphragm to warm it up a little, and tap it lightly to make sure you hear well.
6. 6 Place the stethoscope where you felt the apical pulse. Tell the patient to breathe normally through the nose. This will make breathing sounds less loud and your heartbeat will be easier to hear. You need to hear two sounds: knock knock. This counts as one heartbeat.
7. 7 Count how many times in a minute you heard a knock-knock. This is the pulse rate, or heart rate. Think about how you can describe the pulse. Is it loud? Powerful? Is the rhythm regular or irregular?
8. 8 Determine the patient's heart rate. To determine your heart rate, you need to have a watch ready. Count how many times in a minute (60 seconds) you hear "knock knock." The normal pulse rate for an adult is 60-100 beats per minute. In the case of children, the norm varies.
   • For newborns and children under 3 years old, the normal heart rate is 80-140 beats.
   • In the period from 4 to 9 years, the norm is 75-120 strokes.
   • From 10 to 15 years old, the normal heart rate is 50-90 beats per minute.

Method 2 of 3: Interpreting Received Data

1. 1 Listening to and correctly interpreting your heartbeat can be difficult. The interpretation of the pulse, especially the apical pulse, is a real art. However, many conclusions can be drawn from the apical pulse. More details about them are described in the paragraphs below.
2. 2 Determine if your heartbeat is slow or not. If the pulse is very slow, then it may be quite normal for a person in good physical shape. Some medications also slow the heart rate down, which is especially true for the elderly.
   • A classic example is a class of drugs called beta blockers (such as metoprolol). They are widely used to treat high blood pressure and can slow your heart rate.
3. 3 Assess if your heart rate is too fast. If the heart rate is very fast, this may be normal for the exerciser.Also, children can have a much higher heart rate than adults. But a fast heart rate can also be a sign:
   • High blood pressure, heart disease, or infection.
4. 4 Note that the patient may have a misaligned heartbeat. The apical pulse can be displaced (that is, located to the right or left of where it should be). In pregnant women and in obese people, the apical pulse may be displaced to the left, as the heart is also displaced due to the extra mass in the abdomen.
   • In heavy smokers with lung disease, the apical pulse may be displaced to the right. This happens because in case of lung disease, the diaphragm is lowered so that as much air as possible can enter the lungs. In this process, the heart shifts to the right.
5. 5 Pay attention to the regularity of your heart rate. The pulse may be irregular. This is common in older people. The heart sets its own rhythm, and over time, the cells that are responsible for maintaining the rhythm can wear out and break down. The result is arrhythmia.

Method 3 of 3: Learn more about your heart rate

1. 1 Find out what the pulse is. Pulse is a heartbeat that can be felt and / or heard. Heart rate is most commonly referred to as the heart rate, which is a measure of how fast the human heart beats, measured in beats per minute. The normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A slower or faster heart rate may indicate a problem or illness. But for some people, this may be okay.
   • For example, professional athletes often have a very slow heart rate, while during sports, a person's heart rate can exceed 100 beats per minute. In both cases, the heart rate is, respectively, lower or higher than necessary, but this is not a problem.
2. 2 Find out that you can also analyze the pulse by the shape of the pulse. In addition to heart rate, analysis can also be performed by evaluating the pulse shape: is the heartbeat smooth or do you feel weak? Is your pulse jumping (that is, your heart beats faster than usual)? Weak impulses can mean that a person does not have enough blood volume circulating in the vessels, which makes it harder to feel the pulse. A pacing heart rate may indicate arterial stiffness, as the blood vessels are unable to withstand the increase in blood pressure during the heartbeat.
3. 3 Find out where you can check your pulse. There are many points in the body where you can feel your pulse. Here are some of them:
   • Carotid Pulse: An artery is located in the neck on either side of the trachea, a hard "tube" that sits in the front of the neck. The carotid artery divides into two branches and carries blood to the head and neck.
   • Pulse on the brachial artery: felt from the inside of the elbow.
   • Pulse on the radial artery: felt on the wrist at the base of the thumb from the side of the palm.
   • Femoral pulse: felt in the groin, in the bend between the leg and trunk.
   • Popliteal pulse: felt behind the knee.
   • Pulse on the posterior tibial artery: felt on the ankle on the inside of the leg, just behind the medial ankle (tubercle at the base of the lower leg).
   • Pulse of the lower extremities: felt in the upper part of the foot, in the center. This pulse is often difficult to feel.

Tips

• Learning to understand the complexities of heart sounds is incredibly difficult. This guide outlines the basic points you need to know to measure your apical pulse. The best way to learn to read your heart rate is to practice and listen to as many healthy hearts as possible.