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. 2010 Feb 18;24(1):73–105. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2009.10.014

Table 4.

Differential diagnosis of relative bradycardia

Temperature-pulse Relationships
Temperature °F (°C) Appropriate pulse response (beats/min) Relative bradycardia (pulse deficit) pulse (beats/min)
106 (41.1) 150 <140
105 (41.1) 140 <130
104 (41.1) 130 <120
103 (41.1) 120 <110
102 (41.1) 110 <100
Criteria for relative bradycardia
Inclusive

  • 1. Patient must be an adult

  • 2. Temperature ≥102°F

  • 3.

    Pulse must be taken simultaneously with the temperature
Exclusive

  • 1. Patient has normal sinus rhythm without arrhythmia, second/third-degree heart block or pacemaker-induced rhythm

  • 2. Patient must not be on a β-blocker, verapamil, or diltiazem
Causes of Relative Bradycardia
Infectious Noninfectious

  • • Legionnaires' disease

  • • Psittacosis

  • • Q fever

  • • Typhoid fever

  • • Typhus

  • • Babesiosis

  • • Malaria

  • • Leptospirosis

  • • Yellow fever

  • • Dengue fever

  • • Viral hemorrhagic fevers

  • • Rocky Mountain spotted fever

  • • β-blockers

  • • Verapamil

  • • Diltiazem

  • • Central nervous system disorders

  • • Lymphomas

  • • Factitious fever

  • • Drug fever

Adapted from Cunha CB. Differential diagnosis of infectious disease. In: Cunha BA. Antibiotic essentials. 9th edition. Sudbury (MA): Jones & Bartlett; 2010; with permission.