Pulse
A pulse is the beat you can feel against the wall of an artery when your heart beats. The pulse is the same as the heart rate.
Taking a Pulse:
-take a pulse for a full 60 seconds
-do not use the thumb to find a pulse; it has its own pulse
-use a clock for timing, not a phone
- do not let the patient cross their legs
- make sure patient relaxes
6 Different Pulse Checks:
1. Carotid pulse
-plapated on the lateral aspect of the neck between the Adam's apple and the sternocleidomastoid muscle
2. Radial pulse
- palpated on the distal wrist on the lateral side of the palmaris longus tendon (under the thumb)
3. Brachial pulse
-palpated between the biceps brachii and the triceps brachii on the medial brachial region
4. Posterior Tibial pulse
-palpated just posterior to the medial malleolus of the tibia
5. Dorsalis Pedis pulse
-palpated between the first and second metatarsals, near the tarsal-matatarsal jt., on the dorsal surface of the foot
6. Femoral pulse
- used only in emergencies (for privacy reasons)
Pulse Rates:
-most people fall between 70-100 bpm
-Bradycardia: any pulse at or below 60 bpm
-Most athletes are going to be bradycadria because their hearts are trained muscles and dont need to work as heard
-Tachycardia: any pulse above 100 bpm
-take a pulse for a full 60 seconds
-do not use the thumb to find a pulse; it has its own pulse
-use a clock for timing, not a phone
- do not let the patient cross their legs
- make sure patient relaxes
6 Different Pulse Checks:
1. Carotid pulse
-plapated on the lateral aspect of the neck between the Adam's apple and the sternocleidomastoid muscle
2. Radial pulse
- palpated on the distal wrist on the lateral side of the palmaris longus tendon (under the thumb)
3. Brachial pulse
-palpated between the biceps brachii and the triceps brachii on the medial brachial region
4. Posterior Tibial pulse
-palpated just posterior to the medial malleolus of the tibia
5. Dorsalis Pedis pulse
-palpated between the first and second metatarsals, near the tarsal-matatarsal jt., on the dorsal surface of the foot
6. Femoral pulse
- used only in emergencies (for privacy reasons)
Pulse Rates:
-most people fall between 70-100 bpm
-Bradycardia: any pulse at or below 60 bpm
-Most athletes are going to be bradycadria because their hearts are trained muscles and dont need to work as heard
-Tachycardia: any pulse above 100 bpm