Pulsus alternans
| Pulsus alternans | |
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| Classification and external resources | |
 Pulse pressure waveform displaying the variation in pressure between beats in pulsus alternans. | |
| DiseasesDB | 11040 |
Pulsus alternans is a physical finding with arterial pulse waveform showing alternating strong and weak beats.[1] It is almost always indicative of left ventricular systolic impairment, and carries a poor prognosis.
Pathophysiology
In left ventricular dysfunction, the ejection fraction will decrease significantly, causing reduction in stroke volume, hence causing an increase in end-diastolic volume. There may initially be a tachycardia as a compensatory mechanism to try to keep the cardiac output constant. As a result, during the next cycle of systolic phase, the myocardial muscle will be stretched more than usual and as a result there will be an increase in myocardial contraction, related to the Frank–Starling physiology of the heart. This results, in turn, in a stronger systolic pulse .
In literature
D.H. Lawrence, in his famous novel, "Sons and Lovers" elegantly describes pulsus alternans:
"Then he felt her pulse. There was a strong stroke and a weak one, like a sound and its echo. That was supposed to betoken the end."
References
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