According to the source material, when is the right ventricle palpable?

According to the source material, when is the right ventricle palpable?

• A. Only during infancy
• B. In healthy adults
• C. In athletes
• D. In patients with AR

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how the heart sits in the chest and how this changes with age. In infants, the chest wall is thin and the heart is relatively large and positioned more anteriorly, so the right ventricle is closer to the chest wall and can be felt as a palpable impulse along the left lower sternal border. In healthy adults, the heart sits deeper and the left ventricle takes a more prominent, anterior position, with the sternum and chest wall concealing the right ventricle, so it is not normally palpable. While certain disease states can make the right ventricle palpable in adults, the source material notes this finding is typical only in infancy.

The key idea is how the heart sits in the chest and how this changes with age. In infants, the chest wall is thin and the heart is relatively large and positioned more anteriorly, so the right ventricle is closer to the chest wall and can be felt as a palpable impulse along the left lower sternal border. In healthy adults, the heart sits deeper and the left ventricle takes a more prominent, anterior position, with the sternum and chest wall concealing the right ventricle, so it is not normally palpable. While certain disease states can make the right ventricle palpable in adults, the source material notes this finding is typical only in infancy.