audible brachial pulse

Specialties Cardiac

Published

I had a pt who has a very audible brachial pulse! I applied the cuff as normal, inflated the cuff and got the systolic pressure and continued to hear the pulse to past 0! Ok I thought I lost something....Went to recheck on RAC and realized I could hear her brachial pulse faintly in the right arm and strongly on the left arm WITHOUT inflation of the cuff! Based on her previous symptoms, diagnosis, and risk factors; patient had visit with EMT's. BUT this RN requests info from cardiac RN's on why my patient has audible brachial pulses???? HX: CAD, HTN, DM, MI's, Neuropathy.....Can anyone explain what the audible pulse could mean, I have never experienced this and I have had many end stage disease pts...Always trust a littman!!

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.

It may not mean anything. Some people just have strong pulses.

blanck4

2 Posts

This particular patient has NEVER had audible brachial pulses, in fact, her apical pulse is at times difficult to hear without changes in position.

iluvivt, BSN, RN

2,774 Posts

Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

The artery could be aberrant and close to the surface. If it is a big change for the patient it could indicate an occlusion in the artery so depending on the patient's history they may want to do further testing. Has the patient recently lost a lot of weight? Has the patient recently had changes in her medications?

BelgianRN

190 Posts

Specializes in GICU, PICU, CSICU, SICU.

You can only hear audible arterial pulses when the bloodflow is somehow obstructed. There are multiple reasons: pressure from your stethoscope on a superficial artery, partially clogged artery, aneurysmatic deformation, AV-malofrmation to name a few.

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