<P> A normal pulse is regular in rhythm and force . An irregular pulse may be due to sinus arrhythmia, ectopic beats, atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter, partial heart block etc . Intermittent dropping out of beats at pulse is called "intermittent pulse". Examples of regular intermittent (regularly irregular) pulse include pulsus bigeminus, second - degree atrioventricular block . An example of irregular intermittent (irregularly irregular) pulse is atrial fibrillation . </P> <P> The degree of expansion displayed by artery during diastolic and systolic state is called volume . It is also known as amplitude, expansion or size of pulse . </P> <P> A weak pulse signifies narrow pulse pressure . It may be due to low cardiac output (as seen in shock, congestive cardiac failure), hypovolemia, valvular heart disease (such as aortic outflow tract obstruction, mitral stenosis, aortic arch syndrome) etc . </P> <P> A bounding pulse signifies high pulse pressure . It may be due to low peripheral resistance (as seen in fever, anemia, thyrotoxicosis, hyperkinetic heart syndrome (de), A-V fistula, Paget's disease, beriberi, liver cirrhosis), increased cardiac output, increased stroke volume (as seen in anxiety, exercise, complete heart block, aortic regurgitation), decreased distensibility of arterial system (as seen in atherosclerosis, hypertension and coarctation of aorta). </P>

What characteristics are recorded when assessing a pulse