Which description best characterizes the pulse in aortic stenosis?

• A. Bounding pulse with head bobbing
• B. Brisk upstroke with precipitous downstroke
• C. Slow-rising pulse "pulsus parvus et tardus"
• D. Normal pulse

Answer: (C)

In aortic stenosis, the valve narrowing makes it hard for the left ventricle to eject blood, so the arterial pulse rises more slowly and to a smaller amplitude. This slow, damped upstroke with a delayed peak is described as pulsus parvus et tardus—parvus meaning weak or small, tardus meaning late or delayed. The delayed upstroke reflects the prolonged ejection across the narrowed valve and a reduced ability to generate a brisk systolic surge, especially as the stenosis becomes more severe.

By contrast, a bounding, head-bobbing pulse occurs with large, high-volume strokes and wide pulse pressure, as seen in conditions like aortic regurgitation, not typical of pure aortic stenosis. A normal pulse would not match the characteristic slow-rising, diminished waveform of severe AS. Thus the best description is the slow-rising, pulsus parvus et tardus.