The Dicrotic Arterial Pulse

Abstract

The study consisted of observations on nine male patients with palpable dicrotic as evidenced by cardiomegaly and the presence of prominent atrial and ventricular diastolic gallop sounds. Most of these patients were diagnosed as having primary myocardial disease. The indirect carotid pulse was characterized by a single systolic wave, a low dicrotic notch, and a large dicrotic wave. The direct brachial arterial pressure pulse had a similar configuration with a shortened ejection time index. The hemodynamic data on these patients was characterized by low cardiac output, low stroke volume, elevated pulmonary arterial wedge pressures, and high total systemic resistance. From these observations we conclude that the presence of a marked dicrotic pulse in afebrile patients at rest may indicate severe functional impairment of the myocardium.