If you need to find the brachial pulse on a person, where do you go? How do you do it? There are a lot of questions you might have, and all the answers are right here!
Read on to find out how to find the brachial pulse, as well as a few more important things you should know about it.
How To Find Brachial Pulse?
What Is The Brachial Pulse?
The brachial pulse can be felt on the brachial artery. This artery is the main vessel that supplies blood to all the muscles located in your elbow joint and upper arm.
The pulse in the brachial artery, like all other pulses, occurs when the heart pumps oxygenated blood out to the body. This blood goes through the veins with every pulse of the heart.
Why Would You Need To Find The Brachial Pulse?
You would need to find the brachial pulse if you were to check someone’s blood pressure. It can also be used to assess heart rate.
This method of assessing blood pressure is frequently used with children. This is because it can be very difficult to get a radial pulse. A radial pulse is located on the wrist.
To help locate the brachial pulse, a Doppler may be used. This is a type of ultrasound that will use the sound waves to show the blood moving through the vessels, giving the location of the artery.
Since this artery is located very close to the skin’s surface, it’s usually easy to find. However, because of this, it is also an artery that is very susceptible to damage.
Injuries such as fractures and broken arms are typically the ones that can impact this artery. If one of these injuries did impact the artery, it could experience horrific damage.
The artery could also be damaged due to a dislocated elbow, though this is rarer.
The Technique You Need To Use To Find The Brachial Pulse
To find the brachial pulse, you will need to look at the biceps tendon area. This should be done with the person’s arm outstretched and roughly even.
You will need to feel the bicep tendon area of the antecubital fossa. Do this gently, as this area can be quite sensitive.
Carefully move three of your fingers around 2 cm (medial) from the tendon, and between 2-3 cm above the antecubital fossa. There, you should be able to locate the pulse.
While doing this, you should keep the pads of your fingers in direct contact with the skin of the patient. This will help you feel better, and determine where the brachial pulse is.
What The Healthcare Provider Should Consider?
Hyperextending the arm of the patient would be helpful when trying to locate the brachial pulse. This is because it will accentuate the brachial pulse, allowing you to feel it better.
Take note that you might need to move your fingers around the area a little before you find the pulse. Be sure that you press gently but firmly on the skin, so that you can accurately feel the pulse.
What Should A Person’s Heart Rate Be?
A normal heart rate is typically between 60-100 beats per minute. However, this can vary greatly depending on who the person sitting in front of you is.
In individuals who are very fit, you are likely to see a resting heart rate that is lower than expected. Some athletic people have resting heart rates that are between 40-60 beats per minute, or even lower.
This is because exercise leads to the heart getting stronger, since it is also a muscle. When the heart is exercised and gets stronger, it is able to pump out larger volumes of blood in every heartbeat.
As a result, more oxygen gets delivered to the bloodstream and muscles.
It would be concerning to see a heart rate of 60 beats per minute or less in an individual who does not regularly exercise (bradycardia).
Similarly, if your heartbeat is consistently over 100 beats per minute (tachycardia), this would also be concerning.
What Should A Person’s Blood Pressure Be?
The blood pressure of the average human should be somewhere between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg. Here, the higher number refers to the systolic blood pressure, or the pressure that your heart exerts when it’s beating.
The lower number is the diastolic, which refers to the amount of pressure that is in the arteries between the heartbeats.
High blood pressure is considered to be any reading above 130/80, with this number being rated as Stage 1. Stage 2 high blood pressure will be 140/90 or higher. Anyone who gets anywhere near 180/110 in their blood pressure reading should seek immediate medical attention.
Someone with high blood pressure is more likely to suffer from medical issues such as heart disease and heart attacks. Someone with low blood pressure, on the other hand, can suffer from brain and heart damage due to decreased oxygen levels.
Other Areas Of The Body Where You Can Check For A Pulse
You can find your heart rate in a few different areas of the body. These include on the wrist (radial), and neck (carotid) arteries.
Alternatively, you can check for a pulse on the abdominal aorta, femoral artery, popliteal artery, and the dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial artery. These are located on the abdomen, groin, back of the knee, and foot respectively.
Final Thoughts
The brachial artery is commonly used in children’s assessments to help learn their blood pressure and heart rate. To find this artery, you need to feel the bicep tendon area of the antecubital fossa.
Carefully move three of your fingers around 2 cm (medial) from the tendon, and between 2-3 cm above the antecubital fossa. There, you should be able to locate the pulse.