Where should you place your fingers to count a radial pulse?

• A. At the inner elbow
• B. On the thumb side of the wrist
• C. On the back of the hand
• D. On the chest

Answer: (B)

The action tested is finding the radial pulse at the wrist. To count it, place your index and middle fingers on the radial artery at the thumb side of the wrist, just below the base of the thumb, and press gently until you feel the beat. Do not use your thumb to press, since its own pulse can confuse the measurement. Once you feel the pulse, count for 30 seconds and multiply by two (or count for a full 60 seconds if the rhythm is irregular).

Other sites aren’t used for the radial pulse: the inner elbow gives the brachial pulse (used for blood pressure checks), the back of the hand isn’t a standard pulse site, and the chest location is for the apical pulse, which is counted with a stethoscope rather than by palpation.