What it means
The apical pulse is the heartbeat heard with a stethoscope over the apex (lower tip) of the heart, in an adult at the fifth space between the ribs on the left side, in line with the middle of the collarbone. It is the most accurate pulse. The word is also used for the apex of the lung.
For the nurse
Count the apical pulse for one full minute before giving digoxindih-JOK-sinA drug that makes the heart beat more strongly and more slowly.Full entry and in infants, whose apical pulse is the standard.
At a glance
| Spanish | apical |
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Related terms
digoxin
A drug that makes the heart beat more strongly and more slowly.
heart rate
How many times the heart beats per minute.
auscultation
Listening to the sounds inside the body, usually with a stethoscope.
proximal
Nearer the center of the body, or nearer the place where a part is attached.