Please help

[hard working student]

Hello all, I am having a lot of trouble finding the brachial artery with my stethescope for blood pressure readings. I have checked the internet but different sites tell me different things, and different places to look.

If anyone has any tips they would be greatly appreciated.

P.S another thing I am having trouble with is finding where to put the chest leads on the body, v1-v6 for an ecg.

If anyone is framilar with that also please let me know

Thanks again and god bless

[LPNweezy]

Its usually in the inner bend of your arm, on the pinky finger side. the opposite side as the radial pulse. Sometimes you need to go higher and press into the bicep, hope this helps!

[hard working student]

Thanks so much!

[LPNweezy]

Did you find it? :)!

[hard working student]

I can't seem to find it on myself for whatever reason. I am going to take blood pressure later on someone and see if I can find it that way. It seems to be tricky to find the brachial artery.

Thanks again

[Isabelle49]

If you press too hard you may not be able to hear or feel it.

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

Also straightening the arm and locking out the elbow helps to bring the artery closer to the surface.

[hard working student]

Thank you for the tips everyone. I really appreciate it

[neuroms]

Medial side of antecubital space; just roll around in there, you'll get it. Remember to use the bell acquiring those low density K-sounds.

For your V1-V6, just go ahead and write this down somewhere until you've done it a few times: V1-4th intercostal right sternal, V2-4th intercostal left sternal, V4-5th intercostal midclavicular, V6-horizontal to V4 mid lateral chest, V3-between V2 and V4, V5-between V4 and V6.

Once you've done a few it's pretty clear.

[samantha0890]

You are not going to hear the brachial WITH ur steth until u pump up the bp cuff to hear the systolic. U can always feel the pulse but u wont hear it until then. I feel that's what u meant in ur question

[neuroms]

You are not going to hear the brachial WITH ur steth until u pump up the bp cuff to hear the systolic. U can always feel the pulse but u wont hear it until then. I feel that's what u meant in ur question

Actually, once you've found it, it can be entertaining to simply use variable pressure on the bell to induce K-sounds.

[samantha0890]

True! I figured if OP was just starting out, wouldn't b too worried about entertaining yet, just getting it down lol. But yes, once you got it down, its quite fun to go looking for stuff! I just understand the worry behind it, I may have misread the question