Our patient's carotid arterial pulse was hypokinetic, or diminished. [Cut-away]
Now, what does that tell us? Clearly, it confirms what we have there with the blood pressure. Recall we had a narrow pulse pressure, and the diminished, or hypokinetic carotid arterial pulse is consistent with that. It does suggest that our patient may well be having an extensive myocardial infarction with a diminished cardiac output.
Normal vs. Hypokinetic Graphics
By comparing the graphic of a normal patient to our patient, we can appreciate that our patient’s carotid arterial pulse has a small amplitude. The decreased amplitude of the hypokinetic arterial pulse may reflect a decreased stroke volume during left ventricular contraction. This, in turn, can be related to a decreased preload, or filling volume, or poor left or right ventricular function. A small, or hypokinetic pulse, may also be present with outflow tract obstruction.