The pulse is a wave of blood created by the contraction of the ventricle of the heart.
- It reflects the heart beat or is the same as the rate of ventricular contractions in a healthy person.
Pulse and Cardiovascular Diseases
In certain cardiovascular diseases, heartbeats and pulse rates may differ:
- Example: A patient's heart may produce very weak or small pulse waves that are not detectable in a peripheral pulse far from the heart.