How to check the arterial pulse
Rationale and key points
This How to module aims to help healthcare professionals to check the arterial pulse. It focuses on the radial pulse, and also briefly considers the brachial and carotid pulses. The arterial pulse provides information about the patient’s condition and is therefore a vital sign. Checking the pulse is an essential clinical skill for healthcare professionals.
- Palpating the pulse tells us the patient’s heart rate.
- It also provides information on the regularity, volume and character of the pulse.
Keywords
arterial pulse, clinical procedures, clinical skills, observations, pulse, signs and symptoms, vital signs
Learning objectives
After reading this module, you should be able to:
- Describe the arterial pulse.
- Identify the requirements and measures to be taken before and after checking the arterial pulse.
- Name the common sites for palpating the pulse.
- Describe methods to obtain a pulse rate.
- Identify the information obtained in the assessment of the pulse.
Preparation and equipment
- To check the arterial pulse, the following are required:
- Facilities to wash your hands before and after contact with the patient.
- Sight of a watch or clock with a second hand, for timing the pulse.
- After the pulse is checked, it should be recorded in the patient record as soon as possible, for example on their observation chart. This will allow comparison with other measurements.
Equipment
Procedure | |
|
|
|
Figure 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Figure 2
Figure 3
|
|
Comentários
Enviar um comentário