In a Trauma or Emergency situation, there’s not always time to slap on a blood pressure cuff, as I learned recently during a visit to a Trauma center. You eventually do want to get a blood pressure reading as soon as possible, but there’s a quick way to estimate the blood pressure, and that’s by checking pulses.
If you can palpate a radial pulse (felt at the base of the thumb), then that means that the person’s systolic blood pressure (that’s the top number in your blood pressure reading) is at least 80.
If you can feel a femoral pulse (in the groin), even in the absence of a radial pulse, then the systolic blood pressure is at least 70.
If you can feel a carotid pulse (on the side of the neck), even in the absence of a femoral pulse, then the systolic blood pressure is at least 60.
Pretty cool huh?
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