Harrison's Manual of Medicine
CAROTID ARTERY PULSE
- Pulsus parvus: Weak upstroke due to decreased stroke volume (hypovolemia, LV failure, aortic or mitral stenosis [MS]) (Fig. 112-1)
- Pulsus tardus: Delayed upstroke (aortic stenosis [AS])
- Bounding (hyperkinetic) pulse: Hyperkinetic circulation, aortic regurgitation, patent ductus arteriosus, marked vasodilation
- Pulsus bisferiens: Double systolic pulsation (aortic regurgitation, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
- Pulsus alternans: Regular alteration in pulse pressure amplitude (severe LV dysfunction)
- Pulsus paradoxus: Exaggerated inspiratory fall (>10 mmHg) in systolic bp (typical of pericardial tamponade; also seen in severe obstructive lung disease, massive pulmonary embolism, tension pneumothorax)
FIGURE 112-1
Carotid artery pulse patterns.
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Citation
Kasper, Dennis L., et al., editors. "CAROTID ARTERY PULSE." Harrison's Manual of Medicine, 20th ed., McGraw Hill Inc., 2020. harrisons.unboundmedicine.com/harrisons/view/Harrisons-Manual-of-Medicine/623297/all/CAROTID_ARTERY_PULSE.
CAROTID ARTERY PULSE. In: Kasper DLD, Fauci ASA, Hauser SLS, et al, eds. Harrison's Manual of Medicine. McGraw Hill Inc.; 2020. https://harrisons.unboundmedicine.com/harrisons/view/Harrisons-Manual-of-Medicine/623297/all/CAROTID_ARTERY_PULSE. Accessed July 29, 2025.
CAROTID ARTERY PULSE. (2020). In Kasper, D. L., Fauci, A. S., Hauser, S. L., Longo, D. L., Jameson, J. L., & Loscalzo, J. (Eds.), Harrison's Manual of Medicine (20th ed.). McGraw Hill Inc.. https://harrisons.unboundmedicine.com/harrisons/view/Harrisons-Manual-of-Medicine/623297/all/CAROTID_ARTERY_PULSE
CAROTID ARTERY PULSE [Internet]. In: Kasper DLD, Fauci ASA, Hauser SLS, Longo DLD, Jameson JLJ, Loscalzo JJ, editors. Harrison's Manual of Medicine. McGraw Hill Inc.; 2020. [cited 2025 July 29]. Available from: https://harrisons.unboundmedicine.com/harrisons/view/Harrisons-Manual-of-Medicine/623297/all/CAROTID_ARTERY_PULSE.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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BT - Harrison's Manual of Medicine
UR - https://harrisons.unboundmedicine.com/harrisons/view/Harrisons-Manual-of-Medicine/623297/all/CAROTID_ARTERY_PULSE
PB - McGraw Hill Inc.
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DB - Harrison's Manual of Medicine
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