What is peripheral pulse?

Question

What is peripheral pulse?

Answer 1

There are many locations on the human body where your pulse can be felt. Your pulse is the pressure wave of blood that is generated when your heart muscles contract. It reflects the rhythm, rate and strength of your heart's contractions. You can feel your pulse anywhere that an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart) crosses over a bone and is close to the skin's surface. Some of the most common places to easily find your pulse are listed below.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you're finding your pulse. The first is: don't use your thumb. Your thumb has a pulse of its own, which can trick you into thinking you've found a pulse point when you haven't. This is mainly a concern when you're feeling for someone else's pulse-you don't want to confuse your pulse with theirs. To avoid this problem, always use your forefinger and middle finger to locate a pulse.

Another thing to consider is the difference between central and peripheral pulses. Your central pulses include your carotid and femoral arteries. These are arteries that your aorta directly feeds, so they can be more telling than your peripheral pulses. It's possible to have a femoral and carotid pulse and not have a peripheral pulse. However, if this is the case, your patient is likely suffering from severely low blood pressure and needs immediate medical attention. Additionally, you should be careful when feeling for someone's carotid pulse. The carotid artery feeds the brain and if you pinch off the artery by applying pressure for too long, you could cause your patient serious harm.

Answer 2

a pulse on your peripherals like your wrist or foot.

it gives a better indication of blood flow around the body rather than checking it on the neck or chest

Answer 3

Haven't started nursing school yet, but from anatomy, I do believe it's the pulse you'd get a reading from by feeling a pressure point on your wrist, for example. That may be different from the actual beat of your heart.

Periphery is on "the outer side".