Heart rate and pulse rate are the immediate indicators of a patient’s health status. In order to figure out the similarity or difference between heart rate and pulse we will first look into how the cardiovascular system works.
Cardiac cycle
The heart is a muscle that supplies blood and oxygen to the entire body. This fist size organ allows the flow of blood to and from the organs of the body by contracting and relaxing in a cyclical rhythm. This sequential rhythm produces heart beats. The normal frequency of heart beat is 60-100 per minutes. This obviously varies due to factors like age, fitness level, exercise etc.
Pulse rate
Pulse rate is usually detected by palpating the pulse around the radial wrist and the neck. This pulse rate is a reflection of the heart condition because the pulse’ characteristics such as rate, volume, rhythm defines the condition of the heart. Hence both are the same. The pulse rate can be detected at numerous points such as wrist, elbow, ankle, foot, knee or jaw.
Abnormal rate
When the sequence of heart beat follows an irregular pattern, as in the case of cardiac arrhythmias, the pulse rate become irregular in volume and rhythm. In very abnormal cases a difference is seen between the heart rate and the pulse rate which is assessed through the ECG tests.
Tachycardia
A heart beat faster than the normal 60-100 per minute is termed as tachycardia. The reason for this accelerated heart beat may be exercise, stress, pregnancy or infection of diseases such as amemia, sepsis, shock and many more.
Bradycardia
However a heart beat slower than normal is called bradycardia. In case of bradycardia the heart rate is less than normal. This may depend on age – children have a higher rate than adults and other physiological factors. Also athletes have a lower range of normal heart rate. Pathological bradycardia is seen in hypothyroidism, late stage of shock, heart block and syncope.
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