A heart rate of 160 beats per minute is most characteristic of which group?

A heart rate of 160 beats per minute is most characteristic of which group?

• A. Adult at rest
• B. Infant
• C. Neonate with tachycardia
• D. Teenager during exercise

Answer: (B)

Heart rate varies a lot with age, and infants keep a much faster pace at rest than older individuals. A resting rate around 160 beats per minute is commonly seen in infants, reflecting their higher metabolic needs and smaller resting stroke volume. Adults staying at rest are typically much slower, and while a teenager can reach 160 during strenuous exercise, that’s not the resting pattern for that age. Neonates also have high rates, but tachycardia implies an abnormally high rate for that age; 160 is a familiar resting level for infants. So, this rate is most characteristic of an infant.

Heart rate varies a lot with age, and infants keep a much faster pace at rest than older individuals. A resting rate around 160 beats per minute is commonly seen in infants, reflecting their higher metabolic needs and smaller resting stroke volume. Adults staying at rest are typically much slower, and while a teenager can reach 160 during strenuous exercise, that’s not the resting pattern for that age. Neonates also have high rates, but tachycardia implies an abnormally high rate for that age; 160 is a familiar resting level for infants. So, this rate is most characteristic of an infant.