Certified Medical Assistant (CMA AAMA)Clinical Workflow and Patient IntakeMedium
A medical assistant palpates the radial pulse at 76 beats per minute while a colleague simultaneously auscultates the apical pulse at 88 beats per minute for one full minute. What is the pulse deficit?
- A6 beats/min
- B12 beats/min
- C76 beats/min
- D164 beats/min
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 12 beats/min
Pulse deficit is calculated by subtracting the radial pulse from the apical pulse: 88 − 76 = 12 beats/min. A pulse deficit indicates that some heartbeats are not producing a palpable peripheral pulse, which can suggest cardiac arrhythmia.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 6 beats/min is not the correct subtraction of the two values.
- C. 76 beats/min is simply the radial pulse, not the deficit.
- D. 164 beats/min results from adding the two pulses, not subtracting.
Pulse Deficit
The difference between the apical and radial pulse rates, measured simultaneously by two people.
- Formula: Apical pulse − Radial pulse
- Indicates ineffective heartbeats not reaching the periphery
- Often associated with arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation
Memory trick: 'Apical minus radial reveals the deficit dial.'