Which rhythm can present with a pulse that is either regular or irregular?

Which rhythm can present with a pulse that is either regular or irregular?

• A. Atrial Tachycardia
• B. Atrial Flutter
• C. Atrial Fibrillation
• D. Junctional Tachycardia

Answer: (B)

Flutter waves with a rapid, organized atrial rhythm can produce a ventricular response that is either regular or irregular, depending on how the AV node conducts those impulses. If the AV conduction ratio is fixed (for example, every other atrial impulse conducts), the pulse remains regular. If the AV conduction varies, the ventricular rhythm can become irregular. This makes atrial flutter the rhythm that can present with a pulse that is either regular or irregular. In contrast, other tachyarrhythmias typically have a more consistently regular pulse, while atrial fibrillation usually shows an irregularly irregular pulse due to chaotic atrial activity and variable AV conduction.