1-6
1-6. PULSE AND BLOOD PRESSURE
a. Pulse. This is a characteristic associated with the heartbeat and the subsequent wave of expansion and recoil set up in the wall of an artery. Pulse is defined as the alternate expansion and recoil of an artery. With each heartbeat, blood is forced into the arteries causing them to dilate (expand). Then the arteries contract (recoil) as the blood moves further along in the circulatory system. The pulse can be felt at certain points in the body where an artery lies close to the surface. The most common location for feeling the pulse is at the wrist, proximal to the thumb on the palm side of the hand (radial artery). Alternate locations are in front of the ear (temporal artery), at the side of the neck (carotid artery), and on the top (dorsum) of the foot (dorsalis pedis).
b. Blood Pressure. The force that blood exerts on the walls of vessels through which it flows is called blood pressure. All parts of the blood vascular system are under pressure, but the term blood pressure usually refers to arterial pressure. Pressure in the arteries is highest when the ventricles contract during systole. Pressure is lowest when the ventricles relax during diastole. The brachial artery, in the upper arm, is the artery usually used for blood pressure measurement.
