Pulse
• Define
– The pressure of the blood pushing against the
walls of an artery as the heart beats and rests
– Felt more easily in arteries that lie close to the
skin
Pulse Sites
• Temporal – forehead
• Carotid – neck
• Brachial – inner, upper
arm
• Radial – wrist
• Femoral – groin
• Popliteal – behind
knee
• Dorsalis pedis – top of
foot
Pulse Rate
• Define
– Number of beats per
minute
• Variables
– Age, sex, body size
Pulse Rates
• Adults
60-90bpm
• Children > 7
70-90bpm
• Children 1-7
80-110bpm
• Infants
100-160bpm
Pulse Terms
• Bradycardia
– Pulse rate under 60
beats per minute
• Tachycardia
– Pulse rate greater than
100 beats per minute
Characteristics of the Pulse
• Rate – beats per minute
• Rhythm – regularity or spacing of beats
– Regular or irregular
– Arrhythmia – irregular heartbeat/pulse
• Volume – strength or intensity
– Strong, weak, thready, bounding
Factors that Increase the Pulse
– Exercise
– Stimulant drugs
– Excitement
– Fever
– Shock
– Nervous tension
Factor that Decrease the Pulse
– Sleep
– Depressant drugs
– Heart disease
– Coma
– Physical training
Apical Pulse
• Heartbeat taken by listening
with a stethoscope over the
apex of the heart
• The heart sounds are lubb-dupp
• Each lubb-dupp is one beat
• Used for taking an infant’s
pulse because it is so rapid
Respirations
• Define
– Process of taking in oxygen
and expelling carbon dioxide
• One Respiration includes
– 1 inspiration, breathing in
– 1 expiration, breathing out
Respiration Rates
• Adults
– 14-18 breaths per minute
• Children
– 16-25 breath per minute
• Infants
– 30-50 breaths per minute
Respiration Characteristic
• Rate
– Number of respirations per minute
– One respiration is one inspiration and one
expiration
• Rhythm
– Regular or irregular
• Character
– Deep, shallow, stertorous, moist
Abnormal Respiration
Terminology
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dyspnea – difficulty breathing
Apnea – absence of respirations
Tachypnea – respiration > 25/min
Bradypnea – respirations <10/min
Orthopnea – severe dyspnea
Cheyne-Stokes – periods of dyspnea followed by
periods of apnea. Seen in dying patients
• Rales – bubbling respiration caused by moisture in
the lungs
Procedure for Taking
Respirations
• Count respirations so patient is unaware
• Do not tell patient you are taking their
respirations as it is a voluntary and
involuntary process
• Take the patients pulse and afterwards leave
hand in place and lift eyes to count the rise
and fall of the patients chest