The brachial pulse is used to check blood pressure.It is the most convenient way to check for a pulse in infants.You can check the pulse in your wrist or neck if you take the brachial pulse.It takes some practice to feel the beat of the brachial arteries.
Step 1: If you want your inner elbow to face upward, you have to tilt your arm.
Relax and bend your arm at the elbow.It does not need to be rigid.You should be able to see and reach the crease of the elbow.
Step 2: Just above the fossa, put 2 fingers on your upper arm.
You can feel the crease of the elbow.The bicep and brachialis muscles are right above the inside of your elbow.The muscles should meet in the middle of the fossa.If possible, use your index and middle fingers.The easiest way to feel the pulse is with these fingers.The thumb has its own pulse, so don't use it.You should be able to see the brachial arteries.
Step 3: Feel the beat with your fingers.
The pulse shows that you have found the brachial arteries.The beats are similar to the pulse on your wrist or neck.Feel for your pulse on your neck if you have never taken a pulse before.The easiest place to feel a pulse is here.You should be able to detect it on either side of your throat.You should feel the beat in your arm.
Step 4: If you don't feel the beat, you should adjust your fingers.
Try pressing harder into your arm if you can't feel the pulse.It can take some pressure to feel the brachial arteries.If you can't find the pulse, move your fingers around in the fossa until you feel a thump.The pressure should be light.If you push too hard, the pulse of your fingers will hurt.
Step 5: To get a pulse, count the beats you feel for 15 seconds.
Time yourself to get an accurate reading.It helps to use a watch, clock, or timer on your phone so that you aren't trying to count time and the pulse at the same time.
Step 6: Take your 15-second count and divide it by four.
The number of times your heart beats in a minute is measured by the pulse.You need to add up the number of thumps you felt to get a full minute.The count of your pulse is given by this.If you felt 16 beats when you checked the pulse, you would divide that by 4 to get a pulse rate of 64 beats per minute.
Step 7: For the most accurate reading, check the pulse for 60 seconds.
You can estimate the overall pulse rate by taking the pulse for 15 seconds.You can feel the strength and regularity of the beats if you measure the pulse for a full 60 seconds.To count the number of beats from the brachial arteries, use a clock, stopwatch, or timer.If you take the brachial pulse for a full 60 seconds, you can feel beats that aren't coming through in a 15-second check.If you are in shock, use a 60-second reading.You can find the average of the readings by repeating the 15-second count a few times.
Step 8: Place the infant on their back with one arm.
The crease of the elbow should be facing up so that you don't have to move the baby.You can get the best reading if you do this at a time when the baby isn't restless or moving too much.
Step 9: Feel for a beat by placing 2 fingers above the elbow crease.
When you feel a beat, move your index and middle finger around the baby's upper arm.The beat is very light so make sure you don't miss it.
Step 10: You can get a pulse reading by squeezing your fingers.
If you think you have found the brachial arteries, you should compress your fingers to feel the full pulse.The baby's skin should be barely touched by you.It's difficult to find the pulse on an infant.Don't be distracted and focus on the beats.Next time you take your baby to the doctor, ask if you can press harder.They can show you how to check for a pulse.
Step 11: If you need a pulse rate, take a few seconds to measure the pulse.
When you check a baby's pulse, you want to make sure there is a heartbeat.You can count the number of beats you feel for no more than 10 seconds if you use a clock, watch, or timer.You can do a longer reading if it is not an emergency.
Step 12: You can get a 60-second pulse by adding up your counts.
If you measured the pulse for 10 seconds, divide it by 6.If you measured the pulse for 15 seconds, divide it by 4.The approximate beats per minute will be given by this.You would divide 15 by 6 to get a pulse rate of 90 if you counted 15 beats in 10 seconds.If you counted 21 beats in 15 seconds, you would get a pulse rate of 84.