Question

While you do the next exercise, think about Mr Smith, a 53-year-old man who has noticed that at times he seems to have a racing heart

What might you learn from feeling his pulse? What pulse would you feel, where would you feel it, and what would you be commenting on?
a) Use radial pulse because it's accessible
b) Commenting on rate, rhythm, amplitude, and quality of pulse
c) Might learn if valves are incompetent or not

Answer 1

Feeling the pulse allows you to assess the heart's rate, rhythm, amplitude, and overall cardiac health. The radial artery at the wrist is a common site to palpate the pulse, which should be recorded as beats per minute. The correct option is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

When feeling your pulse, you are detecting the expansions and recoiling of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through them. This is measured as your heart rate and is clinically recorded as beats per minute. A common site to palpate the pulse is the radial artery, located at the wrist.

By measuring the pulse for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6, you can estimate the heart rate for one minute, assuming a regular rhythm. This provides information on the rate, rhythm, amplitude, and quality of the heart's function, which can indicate the overall cardiac health of an individual like Mr. Smith.