Accuracy of precordial palpation for detecting increased left ventricular volume by S. D. Eilen and others (1983)

Annals of Internal Medicine 99(5), 628–630 (1983), DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-99-5-628. Abstract: physical examination and two-dimensional echocardiography in 41 patients; impulse location alone was not a reliable indicator of increased end-diastolic volume.

Additional exact abstract result: among patients without left ventricular hypertrophy, an apical impulse diameter greater than 3 cm in the left lateral decubitus position had reported sensitivity 92% and specificity 91%. These are subgroup- and criterion-specific figures, not the performance of impulse location alone or a general palpation rule. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6227265/