Why are three fingers used in taking the radial pulse?!


Question: Why are three fingers used in taking the radial pulse.?
Please specify the reasons in detail.. please do not give Indian or Chinese medical reasons.. I hope I can receive modern medicine reasons.. Thank YouHealth Question & Answer


Answers:
3 is not needed! 2 is most commin to use! But never use your thumb to take a pulse because in your thumb you can feel your pulse.. Health Question & Answer

There is no "magic number" 2 or 3 it all comes down to personal preference, however some people find that using 3 fingers helps them find the pulse faster because they are covering a larger area of the wrist..
It is perfectly acceptable to use your thumb- it's a common MYTH that the thumb has a pulse of it's own that will interfere with the count..
One of the common components of the initial assessment for a patient taught to advanced EMS providers is to approach the patient from the side and check the radial pulse with one hand while simultaneously placing the thumb of the other hand against the carotid site to compare the two..
For many EMS providers "how to take a pulse" is a 2-3hr lecture covering everything from anatomy, waveform components, pathopysiology, etc

- DavidHealth Question & Answer

Its for stability purposes.. Most people recommend 2 or 3 fingers...... this is to ensure your own blood pressure does not interfere with your reading.. As far as stability goes, this is what I mean...... you need a minimum of two fingers to get a steady reading as humans cannot keep a single finger steady even if they tried!

Good question, I thought about this all the time before I became a nurse..Health Question & Answer

2 fingers are fine, but 3 are often used.. If you heard three fingers were required, you were likely misinformed.. The answer you are looking for though is so pressure is evenly distributed and you don't occlude the pulse.. Health Question & Answer

You do not use your thumb because your thumb has a pulse and it would mess you up while counting theirs when you feel yours too..

I use 2 or 3 fingers.. If I can't first feel it, I may put up three because it gives me more places to search for it..Health Question & Answer

maybe because with just one finger you would only pick up your fingers pulse and not the patient....also because the beat may be faint and the larger area covered would make it easier to detect......just a guessHealth Question & Answer

sorry dont know but could you help me with mine trying to get 1,000 answers!
.yahoo..com/question/.?qid=20080813184104AAZpWQr&cp=2" rel="nofollow">http://answers..yahoo..com/question/.?qid=2......Health Question & Answer

you don't need to use 3 fingers, you can use 2 or even 1, as long as you can feel the pulse......Health Question & Answer

its not three, its two and because one isnt enough..
its your middle finger and your pointer finger..
never use your thumb because it has a pulse of its own!Health Question & Answer

you can do it with 2 to feel it better, you dont need to use 3Health Question & Answer

Only 2 and never the thumb or you will be taking your own..Health Question & Answer



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