MEDiscuss • vBCms Comments • Article: Examination of Cardiac Apex Beat

Thank you for this excellent information about apex beat. Some books have given that we should make the patient sit up to palpate the apex beat when it is not palpable in supine position. However, now I am clear that it is better to make the patient turn to the left side...

Thank you so much for this interesting article

BEST APEX BEAT explanation I ever saw

thankes very nice depiction.

Good work,I must say.Very explanatory

excellent explanation!

Originally Posted by clem

hi thank u for overview. so many clinical med texts differ between hyperkinetic and hyperdynamic etc. my question is can u by palpating the apex, eliciting a hyperdynamic, volume overloaded ventricle, by inference, say the patient has a cardiomyopathy?thank u

eh...by my reasoning the simplest explanation would either be a regurgitant lesion(AR) or VSD.Cardiacmyopathy leads to pressure overload leading to outward downward displaced apex with heave...

Why in some cases, apex beat is not displaced despite there is cardiomegaly (with left ventricle enlargement) ?

Hi,

I would like to confirm if the patient has cardiomegaly, when you auscultate for the apex beat, do you also place the stethoscope on the PMI?

excellent explanation!