atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that can result in a rapid, irregular heart rate
this may cause an apex-radial pulse deficit, because each ventricular contraction may not be sufficiently strong to transmit an arterial pulse wave through the peripheral artery
therefore assessment of the radial pulse in isolation will not be an accurate reflection of the actual heart rate. Other causes for an apex-radial pulse deficit include atrial flutter
in the absence of cardiac monitoring, the assessment of the apex beat (together with the radial pulse) is an important aspect of the assessment of the patient with AF
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