Bounding pulse is a medical sign characterized as a leaping and forceful pulse that quickly disappears. To feel a bounding pulse, the radial artery is lightly palpated at the distal palmar edge. It is best detected when the arm is held aloft.
Bounding pulse is normal under heavy exercise, pregnancy, alcohol consumption, or high anxiety. It is common for people over the age of 60 to develop signs of this due to an overall increase in the systolic pressure from hardening arteries (Atherosclerosis). However, this does not mean the presence of a bounding pulse in an older person is not clinically significant. A bounding pulse is also often associated with high blood pressure and large stroke volume, and can occur with many pathological conditions, including:
- Heart failure
- Chronic kidney failure
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Aortic regurgitation
- Atherosclerosis
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Anemia
- Fever
- Thyrotoxicosis
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