Pulse examination by palpation of a peripheral artery against a bony prominence is the most commonly used and widely accepted method. However this is subjective and thus prone to errors. Although pulse waveform was recorded in the 19th century, it did not gain popularity because of inconvenience in using the recording instruments and the absence of a sound theory to explain the wave forms recorded. Sphygmomanometry for recording blood pressure gained popularity as it was easy to record and had a sound theoretical background. Sphygmomanometry provides two extreme values of blood pressure but does not give a true representation of the blood pressure changes occurring in the entire cardiac cycle. Recently there has been resurgence in the analysis of the graphical recording of the pulse wave. Photoplethysmography is becoming a widely accepted technique in assessing the volume pulse. The whole review is about historical background, non-invasive methods of pulse recording, relation of the digital volume pulse to the pressure pulse and the advantages of recording the pressure pulse.

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Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) varies with anthropometric variables like calendar age, body height, body weight, and body surface area in different regions. The present study aims at analyzing the relationship of PEFR with anthropometric variables to know a reference value in this region. We conducted the present study on healthy adult males aged eighteen to forty-five years engaged in works where they were un-exposed to pollutants in Patiala, India. Subgroups were made in each anthropometric variable category. PEFR recording was done using Mini Wright Peak Flow Meter. Results are expressed as mean PEFR ± standard deviation (mean ±S.D.), while the students' t-test was used to determine the differences between the means. We observed a linear increase in PEFR with all anthropometric variables. The correlation of PEFR with anthropometric variables was determined. PEFR is positively correlated with body height and body surface area (r = +0.20) and negatively correlated with calendar age (r = -0.24) and body weight (r = -0.02). We conclude that PEFR correlates best with body height (r = +0.48), and the result is highly significant (p < 0.01).

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