Pulsus alternans

Pulsus alternans is a medical term that refers to a physical condition where the pulse alternates between strong and weak beats. It is often associated with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Pronunciation

Pulsus alternans is pronounced as "PUL-sus al-TER-nans".

Etymology

The term "pulsus alternans" is derived from Latin, where "pulsus" means "pulse" and "alternans" means "alternating".

Definition

Pulsus alternans is a physical finding in the cardiac examination characterized by alternations in the force of the pulse or blood pressure between beats without changes in the heart rate. It is often indicative of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and is associated with a poor prognosis.

Clinical Significance

Pulsus alternans is often a sign of severe left ventricular dysfunction and can be indicative of heart conditions such as heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and myocardial infarction. It can also be seen in patients with aortic stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of pulsus alternans is typically made through a physical examination and can be confirmed with an arterial waveform or an echocardiogram.

Related Terms

• Heart failure
• Cardiomyopathy
• Myocardial infarction
• Aortic stenosis
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Pulsus alternans
• Wikipedia's article - Pulsus alternans

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