Physical examination maneuver
Physical Exam
Heart Rate
🎬
Video coming September 2026
How to Perform
Palpate a peripheral pulse, commonly the radial artery, with the pads of two fingers and count the beats over a timed interval — 30 seconds doubled, or a full 60 seconds if the rhythm is irregular. Heart rate can be calculated with cardiac aulscultation when peripheral pulses are weak or the rhythm is irregular.
How to Interpret
Showing 16 of 32 findings
Atrial Fibrillation
Irregularly irregular pulse on palpation
Rule in
Helpful
Rule out
Very helpful
Evidence:Limited
Apex-radial pulse deficit
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Bacteremia
Tachycardia
Rule in
Minimally helpful
Rule out
Minimally helpful
Evidence:Strong
Decompensation
Pulse ≤81/min in a patient with acute severe aortic regurgitation from infective endocarditis
Rule in
Minimally helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
HelpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Pulse ≥94/min in a patient with acute severe aortic regurgitation from infective endocarditis
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Hypothyroidism
Bradycardia (resting heart rate <60 bpm)
Rule in
Somewhat helpful
Rule out
InconclusiveWide CI
Evidence:Limited
Mortality
Admission heart rate <100/min in a hospitalized adult
Rule in
Somewhat helpful
Rule out
Not helpful
Evidence:Limited
Admission heart rate ≥120/min in a hospitalized adult
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Not helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Admission heart rate 100-119/min in a hospitalized adult
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Not helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Pneumonia
Tachycardia (pulse rate >100 bpm)
Rule in
Somewhat helpful
Rule out
Not helpful
Evidence:Strong
Postoperative Complication
Heart rate >100/min after ventral hernia repair
Rule in
Somewhat helpful
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Heart rate >85/min before lung cancer surgery
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Pulmonary Embolism
Tachycardia
Rule in
Not helpful
Rule out
Not helpful
Evidence:Limited
Serious Adverse Event
Tachycardia (heart rate ≥100 bpm) in a normotensive patient with acute pulmonary embolism
Rule in
Minimally helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Minimally helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Typhoid Fever
Relative bradycardia
Rule in
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Heart rate >100/min
Rule in
Somewhat helpful
Rule out
Somewhat helpful
Evidence:Limited