In medicine, a person's pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an effect of the heart beat. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Arteries are Blood vessels that carry blood away from the Heart. The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic It can be felt in any place that allows for an artery to be compressed against a bone, such as at the neck (carotid artery), at the wrist (radial artery), behind the knee (popliteal artery), on the inside of the elbow (brachial artery), and near the ankle joint (posterior tibial artery). The neck is the part of the Body on many limbed Vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the Torso or trunk In Human anatomy, the wrist is the flexible and narrower connection between the Forearm and the palm. The knee is the lower extremity Joint connecting the Femur, Patella, and the Tibia. In Human anatomy, the popliteal artery is defined as the extension of the "superficial" Femoral artery after passing through the Adductor canal The elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint&mdashthe ginglymus or Hinge joint in the middle of the Arm. In Human anatomy, the ankle Joint is formed where the Foot and the leg meet The pulse rate can also be measured by measuring the heart beats directly (the apical pulse).

Pressure waves move the artery walls, which are pliable; these waves are not caused by the forward movement of the blood. P-wave can also refer to a type of electronic wavefunction in atomic physics see Atomic orbital. Blood is a specialized Bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells ��such as nutrients and oxygen—and transports Waste products When the heart contracts, blood is ejected into the aorta and the aorta stretches. At this point, the wave of distention (pulse wave) is pronounced but relatively slow-moving (3–6 m/s). As it travels towards the peripheral blood vessels, it gradually diminishes and becomes faster. In the large arterial branches, its velocity is 7–10 m/s; in the small arteries, it is 15–35 m/s. The pressure pulse is transmitted fifteen or more times more rapidly than the blood flow. Blood flow is the flow of Blood in the Cardiovascular system.

Pulse is also used, although incorrectly, to denote the frequency of the heart beat, usually measured in beats per minute. Beats per minute ( BPM) is a unit typically used as either a measure of Tempo in music or a measure of one's Heart rate. In most people, the pulse is an accurate measure of heart rate. Measuring heart rate The Pulse rate (which in most people is identical to the heart rate can be measured at any point on the body where an Artery 's pulsation Under certain circumstances, including arrhythmias, some of the heart beats are ineffective, and the aorta is not stretched enough to create a palpable pressure wave. Dysrhythmia redirects here For the American band see Dysrhythmia (band. The pulse is too irregular and the heart rate can be (much) higher than the pulse rate. In this case, the heart rate should be determined by auscultation of the heart apex, in which case it is not the pulse. For the ancient monasterial worker see Auscultare Auscultation is the technical term for listening to the internal sounds of the body usually The pulse deficit (difference between heart beats and pulsations at the periphery) should be determined by simultaneous palpation at the radial artery and auscultation at the heart apex. Palpation used as part of a Physical examination in which an object is felt (usually with the hands of a Healthcare practitioner to determine its size shape firmness In Human anatomy, the radial artery is the main Blood vessel, with oxygenated Blood, of the lateral aspect of the Forearm.

A normal pulse rate for a healthy adult, while resting, can range from 60 to 100 beats per minute (BPM), although well conditioned athletes may have a healthy pulse rate lower than 60 BPM. Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Bradycardia occurs when the pulse rate is below 60 per minute, whereas tachycardia occurs when the rate is above 100 BPM. Bradycardia, as applied to adult medicine is defined as a resting Heart rate of under 60 beats per minute though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min During sleep, this can drop to as low as 40 BPM; during strenuous exercise, it can rise as high as 150–200 BPM. Generally, pulse rates are higher in infants and young children. The resting heart rate for an infant is usually close to an adult's pulse rate during strenuous exercise (average 110 BPM for an infant).

A collapsing pulse is a sign of hyperdynamic circulation. Hyperdynamic circulation is an increase in Pulse pressure and Blood pressure caused by certain physiological and psychiatric illnesses

Contents 1 Common pulse sites 2 Reading a pulse 3 References 4 See also

Common pulse sites

• Apical pulse: located in the 4th or 5th left intercostal space, just to the left of the sternum. The sternum (from Greek στέρνον sternon, "chest" or breastbone) is a long flat Bone located in the center of the thorax (chest In contrast with other pulse sites, the apical pulse site is unilateral, and measured not over an artery, but over the heart itself (more specifically, the apex of the heart). The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic
• Brachial pulse: located between the biceps and triceps, on the medial side of the elbow cavity, frequently used in place of carotid pulse in infants (brachial artery)
• Carotid pulse: located in the neck (carotid artery). In fields of Anatomy, anatomical terms of location are descriptive terms to help identify relative positions or directions within a species The brachial artery is the major Blood vessel of the upper arm In Human anatomy, the common carotid artery is an Artery that supplies the head and neck with Oxygenated blood; it divides in the neck to form the The carotid artery should be palpated gently and while the patient is sitting or lying down. Stimulating its baroreceptors with vigorous palpitation can provoke severe bradycardia or even stop the heart in some sensitive persons. Bradycardia, as applied to adult medicine is defined as a resting Heart rate of under 60 beats per minute though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min Also, a person's two carotid arteries should not be palpated at the same time. Doing so may limit the flow of blood to the head, possibly leading to fainting or brain ischemia. In Medicine, ischemia ( Greek ισχαιμία, isch- is restriction hema or haema is Blood) is a restriction It can be felt between the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, above the hyoid bone and lateral to the thyroid cartilage.
• Dorsalis pedis pulse: located on top of the foot (dorsalis pedis artery). In Human anatomy, the dorsalis pedis artery ( dorsal artery of foot) is a Blood vessel of the Lower limb that carries oxygenated blood to the
• Facial pulse: located on the mandible (lower jawbone) on a line with the corners of the mouth (facial artery). The facial artery ( external maxillary artery in older texts is a branch of the External carotid artery that supplies structures of the face
• Femoral pulse: located in the thigh, halfway between the pubic symphysis and anterior superior iliac spine (femoral artery). The femoral artery is a large Artery in the muscles of the Thigh.
• Popliteal pulse: located behind the knee in the popliteal fossa, found by holding the bent knee. The patient bends the knee at approximately 120°, and the physician holds it in both hands to find the popliteal artery in the pit behind the knee.
• Radial pulse: located on the thumb side of the wrist (radial artery). In Human anatomy, the radial artery is the main Blood vessel, with oxygenated Blood, of the lateral aspect of the Forearm. It can also be found in the anatomical snuff box. The anatomical snuffbox, or radial fossa, (in Latin Foveola radialis) is a triangular deepening on the radial, dorsal aspect of the hand - at
• Temporal pulse: located on the temple directly in front of the ear (superficial temporal artery). Temple indicates the side of the head behind the Eyes The bone beneath is the Temporal bone. In Human anatomy, the superficial temporal artery is a major Artery of the Head.
• Tibialis posterior pulse: located on the medial side of the ankle (facing inwards) behind the medial malleolus (posterior tibial artery). The posterior tibial artery of the Lower limb carries blood to the Posterior compartment of the leg and Plantar surface of the Foot, from the
• Ulnar pulse: located on the little finger side of the wrist(ulnar artery). The ulnar artery is the main Blood vessel, with oxygenated Blood, of the Medial aspect of the Forearm.

The ease of palpability of a pulse is dictated by the patient's blood pressure. If his or her systolic blood pressure is below 90 mmHg, the radial pulse will not be palpable. Below 80 mmHg, the brachial pulse will not be palpable. Below 60 mmHg, the carotid pulse will not be palpable. Since systolic blood pressure rarely drops that low, the lack of a carotid pulse usually indicates death. It is not unheard of, however, for patients with certain injuries, illnesses or other medical problems to be conscious and aware with no palpable pulse.

Reading a pulse

Pulses are manually palpated with fingers. When palpating the carotid artery, the femoral artery or the brachial artery, the thumb may be used. In Human anatomy, the common carotid artery is an Artery that supplies the head and neck with Oxygenated blood; it divides in the neck to form the The femoral artery is a large Artery in the muscles of the Thigh. The brachial artery is the major Blood vessel of the upper arm However, the thumb has its own pulse which can interfere with detecting the patient's pulse at other points, where two or three fingers should be used. Fingers or the thumb must be placed near an artery and pressed gently against a firm structure, usually a bone, in order to feel the pulse. Bones are rigid organs that form part of the Endoskeleton of Vertebrates They function to move support and protect the various organs of the body produce

Make sure the person is calm and has been resting for 5 minutes before reading the pulse. Put the fingers on index and middle finger over the pulse count, and count for 30 seconds, and afterwards multiply by 2, to get the pulse rate. If the person's pulse rate is irregular, count for a full minute, and do not multiply. Averaging multiple readings may give a more representative figure.

Cheap home blood pressure measurement devices also typically give a pulse reading. Blood pressure is also the title of a short story by Damon Runyan in Guys and Dolls and Other Stories

References

• Jarvis, Caroylin (2003). Physical Examination & Health Assessment. Saunders.

See also

• Pulsus paradoxus
• Heart rate

In Medicine, a pulsus paradoxus (PP also paradoxic pulse and paradoxical pulse, is an exaggeration of the normal variation in the pulse during the inspiratory Measuring heart rate The Pulse rate (which in most people is identical to the heart rate can be measured at any point on the body where an Artery 's pulsation

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic