What it means
The place where the tip (apex) of the heart taps the chest wall with each beat. In an adult it is normally at the fifth intercostal space on the left, in line with the middle of the collarbone (midclavicular line). It is also where the apical pulse is listened to.
For the nurse
Count an apical pulse at the PMI for a full minute, for example before giving digoxindih-JOK-sinA drug that makes the heart beat more strongly and more slowly.Full entry . Note and report a PMI that has moved down or to the left.
At a glance
| Also written | point of maximal impulse, point of maximum impulse, apical impulse |
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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.
palpation
Examining the body by touching and pressing with the hands and fingers.