The Peripheral Pulse as a Diagnostic Tool

Abstract

Pulse pressure tracings with a needle in the left brachial artery were made from 328 healthy and diseased patients. Of this group, 106 were normal individuals and 222 were divided into 9 disease states making up 3 major categories consisting of degenerative disease, those with stenotic heart valves and those with congenital cardiovascular abnormalities producing an increased cardiac output. The pulse pressure parameters studied included pulse wave velocity; the rise time as expressed by the anacrotic limb; total systolic time; the percentage of systole used for the anacrotic limb; and the precentage of total cycle length used for the systolic phase. Variations in systolic and diastolic pressure within the normal range as related to age are also included. The analysis of these parameters revealed a number of interesting observations related to aging but was of no real value for the individual patient as an aid to the diagnosis of the 9 disease states studied.