When the pulses is taken it is usually taken at an artery in the neck or wrist why?

Answer 1

There are three places in the body to get an accurate pulse. The femoral artery in the thigh, the radial artery in the wrist, or the carotid artery in the neck. The radial and carotid arteries are closer to the surface of the skin and thus are easier to get a pulse from.

Answer 2

Your pulse comes from your heartbeat. When your heart beats it pushes or pumps blood through your blood vessels. Since the neck is closer to the heart and has larger blood vessels than the wrist, the blood pumping through those vessels can be felt more strongly.

Answer 3

Doctors can measure and assess the pulse or heart rate from many sites on the body.

The radial pulse is located in the wrist, on the inner arm above the thumb; there is no pulse on the pinkie side. The radial pulse is the most common assessment, done as part of "TPR" - temperature, pulse, and respiration. It is easy to access, easy to perform the assessment, and gives a quick indication of heart function. For example, if a 20-year old's pulse was 150, the doctor would want to find out why.

The apical pulse is the second most common site to assess the heart rate. The location is just to the left of the nipple on a man, and the same place on a woman but up under the breast tissue. This site allows a medical person to hear the heart at it's source, the heart. Cardiologists also listen to the heart and lungs at different places over the entire chest and back. Although the other sites are not "pulses", the ascultation (listening to) at the other sites can help assess health or illness.

The carotid pulse is in the neck. one on each side of the neck over the carotid artery. This assessment can alert a physician if blood flow is decreased on one or both sides. The testing is important, especially in Heart disease, because the carotid arteries deliver all oxygenated blood to the brain.

The femoral artery is in the groin, one coming down into each thigh. This is the main artery feeding oxygenated blood to the legs and feet. These may be assessed if the patient has a blood clot in the legs or groin. The femoral arteries' sites are also one of the last pulses a medical person can hear as a person is dying.

A doctor may also feel for the femoral-politeal area behind each knee.

As well, each foot has a pulse. This assessment is important anytime a patient has impaired circulation of the legs/feet, or has significant swelling, or has a broken leg / ankle or foot.

Answer 4

You should receive the same results from either. when you check a pulse, you are measuring how many times you can feel your heart pump through your artery (Palpitation). Your neck artery is called the Carotid Artery and the wrist is called the Radial artery.

It is possible to check pulse behind the knee, inside the elbow, and at the ankle joint as well.

Answer 5

There is no difference in the pulse rate. Sometimes, when a pulse is weak at the wrist, it is taken at the neck because it is easier to feel.