title: Carotid palpation and heart rate changes in postmyocardial infarction patients.
abstract: Forty cardiac rehabilitation patients were selected to determine the effects of carotid artery palpation at different time periods during rest, exercise, and recovery on the bicycle ergometer and following jogging-in-place. Fifteen-second carotid artery palpation was performed twice during minutes 1 and 3. The experimenter palpated during minute 1 while the subject palpated during minute 3. A significant decrease in resting heart rate occurred during minute 1 when the experimenter palpated, but no significance was evident during minute 3 when the subject palpated. During exercise with experimenter palpation, a significant decrease in HR occurred during the second 15 seconds of minute 1. Subject palpation during minute 3 did not significantly influence exercise heart rate. Both experimenter and subject palpation during minutes 1 and 3, respectively, of recovery 1 (on the bike) resulted in significant decrease in recovery heart rate. Jogging-in-place (recovery 2) was not influenced by experimenter or subject palpation. The significance of these findings lies in the fact that, although carotid palpation had a significant influence on heart rate, the differences were too small to be determined by a 10- or 15-second count. Thus, carotid palpation cannot be considered a threat to the postmyocardial infarction patient's safety.
mesh_terms: D002339:Carotid Arteries; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010173:Palpation; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012146:Rest