The problem of measuring a pulse. A heart rate is the rate at which a heart beats. A pulse rate is the actual count of that heartbeat creating an actual, physically determinable felt pulse. Electrical heart rate and peripheral pulse are not always the same. Measuring a physical pulse can give us important information about the health of a patient, such as signaling that a person has an infection or is dehydrated. For emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) in particular, the pulse rate can tell us about the potential severity of the patient’s condition and what type of prehospital help is needed...

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