National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) Practice Exam

If a physical therapist assistant assesses a patient's heart rate by measuring it for 30 seconds and counts 41 beats, which of the following should be recorded as the patient's heart rate?

1. 86 beats/min

2. 72 beats/min

3. 82 beats/min

4. 78 beats/min

The correct answer is: 82 beats/min

When assessing a patient's heart rate by measuring for 30 seconds and counting 41 beats, the correct calculation for the heart rate involves taking the number of beats counted, multiplying by 2, to convert the count to a per-minute basis. In this scenario, since the assistant counted 41 beats in 30 seconds, the calculation would be as follows: 41 beats × 2 = 82 beats/min. This provides the heart rate in beats per minute, which is the standard measurement used in clinical settings. Therefore, 82 beats/min accurately reflects the patient's heart rate based on the assessment conducted over the 30-second period. This approach highlights the importance of recognizing the duration over which the heart rate is measured and applying the correct multiplication factor to ensure the value is expressed correctly in beats per minute.