heart health

Paradoxical pulse - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

The paradoxical pulse is a sharp drop in systolic blood pressure and pulse rate during inspiration; in particular, the drop in blood pressure is above 10 mmHg, while the arterial pulse can even disappear.

The paradoxical pulse is associated with reduced cardiac output, increased venous pressure, turgidity of the jugular veins during inspiration and tachycardia.

Usually, the paradoxical pulse indicates the presence of an obstacle to the filling of the right ventricle during diastole, as occurs during some cardiovascular diseases. In particular, it can be observed in subjects suffering from pericarditis (species in the constrictive form of tubercular or post-traumatic origin), restrictive cardiomyopathy, right ventricular infarction and heart failure.

The Kussmaul sign is almost always observed in association with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Other possible causes include severe tricuspid valve defects, cardiac (eg myxoma) and metastatic tumors.

The paradoxical pulse can also occur in advanced forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, pulmonary embolism and hypovolemic, hemorrhagic or septic shock.

Possible Causes * of Pulse Paradox

  • Asthma
  • COPD
  • coronary artery disease
  • Pulmonary heart
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Emphysema
  • Heart attack
  • Heart failure
  • myxoma
  • Pericarditis
  • Heart failure
  • Septic shock
  • Cardiac tumors