A regular interval interrupted by an early beat, late beat, or missed beat indicates an abnormal ...

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A regular interval interrupted by an early beat, late beat, or a missed beat indicates an abnormal rhythm (not rate) or dysrhythmia. Pulse rate assessment often reveals variations in heart rate. Two common abnormalities in heart rate are tachycardia and bradycardia. Tachycardia is an abnormally elevated heart rate, more than 100 beats per minute in adults. Bradycardia is a slow rate, less than 60 beats per minute in adults. An inefficient contraction of the heart that fails to transmit a pulse wave to the peripheral pulse site creates a pulse deficit.