[onduty23]

need tips on getting best location to palpate these pulse dorsalis pedis, brachial, radial

[Hoozdo]

Originally Posted by onduty23

need tips on getting best location to palpate these pulse dorsalis pedis, brachial, radial

Radial - put your fingertips (not thumb) with kinda hard pressure on the wrist above the thumb. If you press to lightly you are not gonna feel it.

Pedal - put your whole hand and fingers (not thumb) over the pt's whole foot. Use medium pressure. You will find it somewhere between the big toe and right side of the ankle. If you can't find any pulse get the portable doppler ultrasound and search for it with that. These can be very hard to find in diabetics are pts with heart problems.

Brachial - easy to find in babies, hard to palpate in adults. In babies you can find it in the inner aspect of the arm between elbow and shoulder. In adults you feel in the AC but it is not easy to palpate without a B/P cuff on.

Popitleal - though you didn't ask. Many people have problems find this one but I have had good luck. Feel right next to the two tendons at the back of the knee

[janfrn]

My secret weapon for those difficult-to-find pedal pulses is to start at the ankle. There's a notch on the medial side next to the tendon and I can often find a pulse there when I can't feel one further down. Then I will follow the tendon down on its lateral side until I feel a pulse over the midfoot. I've also had some success Dopplering pulses this way. And once you've found your elusive pulse, make a mark on the foot with a Sharpie so you don't have to look so hard next time. (The ink comes off easily with isopropyl.)

[onduty23]

thanks

[elizabeth hodgins]

I want to thank all those persons with replies to landmakr and palpate pedal pulses. Comes in handy.