Pulse Rate
The What, Why, and How
What is a pulse?
▪ Pulse is defined as “the pressure of the blood pushing
against the wall of an artery as the heart beats and
rests”
▪ It is a throbbing of the arteries that is caused by the
contractions of the heart.
▪ The pulse is more easily felt in arteries that are fairly
close to the skin and can be pressed against a bone by
the fingers.
▪ Correlation between heart health and physical condition
Why is this measurement important
▪ The heart is one of the most important muscles in your
body.
▪ In so many words, it’s a way to keep track of the
performance of your heart
▪ Pulse (Heart rate) is a way to measure how hard your
heart is working
▪ The higher resting HR, the harder the heart is working
▪ The lower resting HR, the easier the heart is working
Normal Pulse Ranges
▪ Adult: 60 – 100
▪ Infants: 100 – 160
▪ An infant heart cannot stretch very much due to
immature muscle fibers. It has to pump at a faster rate
to maintain blood flow through the body.
Abnormal Pulse Ranges
▪ Tachycardia: pulse over 100 bpm (except in children)
▪ Bradycardia: pulse under 60 bpm
▪ Arryhthmia: irregular or abnormal rhythm, usually caused
by a defect in the electrical conduction pattern of the
heart.
▪ https://youtu.be/DLmmN0jy-s0
Variables that impact pulse
Good Variables
Bad Variables
Exercise
Caffeine beverages
Meditation
Sugary foods
Healthy Diet
Smoking
High Stress Levels
Obesity
Alcohol consumption
How do you measure pulse
(heart rate)?
https://youtu.be/3YOap5k0R_8
Major sites pulses are felt
▪ Temporal: at the side of the forehead
▪ Carotid: on the side of the neck
▪ Brachial: inner aspect of the bicep near the
crease of the elbow
▪ Radial: at the inner aspect of the wrist, above the
thumb
▪ Femoral: at the inner aspect of the upper thigh
▪ Popliteal: behind the knee
▪ Dorsalis pedis: at the top of the foot arch
▪ Posterior tibial: below the medial side of the
ankle
Temporal Pulse
Carotid Pulse
Brachial Pulse
Radial Pulse
Femoral Pulse
Popliteal Pulse
Posterior Tibial
Pulse
Dorsalis pedis Pulse
https://youtu.be/8F
5qE8kjjUA