1. Sit or stand facing your patient.
2. Grasp the patient's wrist with your free (non-watch bearing) hand (patient's right with your right or patient's left with your left). There is no reason for the patient's arm to be in an awkward position, just imagine you're shaking hands.
3. Compress the radial artery with your index and middle fingers.
4. Note the rate, the regularity, and amplitude of the pulse you are measuring. Acurate assessment of the pulse alone may suggest specific disorders.
5. Count the pulse for fifteen seconds and multiply by four (20 x 4 = 80 beats per minute).
6. Count for a full minute if the pulse is irregular. With an irregular pulse, the beats counted in any 15 second period may not represent the overall rate. The longer you measure, the more these variations are averaged out.
7. A normal adult heart rate is between sixty and one hundred beats per minute.

Pulse Terminology     In Children

Rapid or slow pulse rates are not necessarily abnormal. Athletes tend to have a slow pulses at rest (due to superior conditioning). Increased pulse may be a normal response to stress, exercise or pain.

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