When taking a pulse

[the_negro_puppy]

I usually count for 10 seconds then multiply by 6. This is can be compare with the pulse ox etc on the LP12 to confirm

 

[Melclin]

By 15, multiply it by four if I really wanna know an exact number.

Often though if I know I'll be monitoring them, or they're not sick enough to worry about haemodynamics too much, I'm, happy with a few seconds then an estimate of slow, normal or fast. I reckon I'm pretty accurate +/- about 10 BPM. I don't suppose that would go over too well during an exam though

Shouldn't that be 3.17?

Too bad it wasn't 3.14, then you could divide by pi.


mmmmmh, pie.

BRB

That would tickle my temali. I've had an unhealthy obsession with Pi ever since I read Contact by Carl Sagan in grade 4 because my dad told me it was his favourite book. I re read it in Grade 7 and then manually calculated Pi. It took over a 100 calculations to even get the first two decimals accurate. Frustrating.

This was in the same year I won a regional award for the debating team. Yeah I'm not a nerd or anything.

 

[oneahis]

I use 15 seconds. If you brain fart you can always double the 15 seconds to 30 and double the 30 to 60. It's a lot easier. Eg. In 15 seconds you get 23 double it for 46 and double that to get 92. Hope that helps.


Sent from my iPhone!

 

[the_negro_puppy]

I use 15 seconds. If you brain fart you can always double the 15 seconds to 30 and double the 30 to 60. It's a lot easier. Eg. In 15 seconds you get 23 double it for 46 and double that to get 92. Hope that helps.


Sent from my iPhone!

 

[traumaluv2011]

I use the pulse reading on the pulse ox most of the time. I does the work for me

It not, I'll actually use 20 seconds times three. The math turns out a little easier than multiplying by four most of the time.

 

[ArcticKat]

I'll count for 1 second and multiply by 60.

It's amazing how much CPR I do.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I'll count for 1 second and multiply by 60.

Permission to steal this method? :rofl:

 

[Tigger]

Our issued pulse ox is far too cheap to be of any use in a moving ambulance. Half the time it shows 130+ and grandma has a pulse of 76. Plus I like actually feeling for the pulse and getting something of an inkling of its "quality."

 

[PotatoMedic]

At most I would consider this a "woke from coma" kind of thread... I was less then a month since last post. (granted only by a day or two depending on how you count.)

 

[Handsome Robb]

Our issued pulse ox is far too cheap to be of any use in a moving ambulance.

Our issued pulse ox is ~$35,000 so I tend to trust it. I do agree with feeling the quality or equality though, there's no replacement for a manual palpitation of pulses.

 

[ArcticKat]

Permission to steal this method? :rofl:

Be my guest.

 

[slb862]

All pulses should be palpated and compared to the rhythm, and pulse ox HR.

My son had a rapid heart rate that I could only count to 130's a minute, but yet when the HM was placed, his heart rate was in the 200's. The rest is history and 10s of thousands of dollars later, he is well and it will never occur again.

I count 15sec and double, then double again. All while watching/and comparing to the monitor.

 

[Tigger]

Our issued pulse ox is ~$35,000 so I tend to trust it. I do agree with feeling the quality or equality though, there's no replacement for a manual palpitation of pulses.

Reason #804 that working on a BLS truck sucks: no fancy monitor, ever. When a 35k pulse ox/Zoll E series crosses the threshold of my truck, something has gone fairly amiss.

Coincidentally our pulse ox is 35 dollars, so I'm 1/1000 of my way to a monitor!


Sent from my out of area communications device.

 

[mycrofft]

I start palpating as I close with the pt.

If it's dead regular and I'm hurried, six seconds. If I feel it is even slightly irregular, thirty seconds if I'm pushed, full minute if I have the luxury. I always characterize an irregular pulse as regularly or irregularly irregular, and how many irregular beats occurred (if there ARE any regular beats). I also characterize strength; as an a-fib pt, even when I have some regular beats, some are much stronger than others; on an EKG, they would be abnormal.

 

[mint_condition]

My math skills aren't great. Multiplying a number by four in my head is also difficult for me to be honest. I know them... I think I just freak myself out. Multiplying a number by 2 in my head is alot easier for me.

im the same way, i have to sit there and think about it when i multiply by 4, where as if i count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2, i can get my number real easy. AND, if the pulse is irregular, you will have more opportunity to detect this over 30 seconds rather than 15

 

[hoss42141]

I count for 15 sec. and multiply by 4, and then check and see if it is close to the reading on the Lifepak 15. If its close we go with it, if its far off, I got the full 60.

 

[Lozenger19]

I always count for the full 60 seconds

 

[traumaluv2011]

Our issued pulse ox is far too cheap to be of any use in a moving ambulance. Half the time it shows 130+ and grandma has a pulse of 76. Plus I like actually feeling for the pulse and getting something of an inkling of its "quality."

Yea for some reason our captain is extremely pro-pulse ox so we have two types of pulse ox devices on the rig we take out for cardiac/breathing related stuff. So we'll take an inital on scene with the tiny unit that like the size of one of those jewelry boxes for rings (you know those proposing boxes), then we'll use the one on our BP/Pulse/SP O2 monitor en route to the hospital.

 

[traumaluv2011]

I'll count for 1 second and multiply by 60.

It's amazing how much CPR I do.

Let me guess do you get 60 or 120 every time?

 

[systemet]

I count for 13 seconds; square the resulting number, multiply by 21.302, then take the square root of the result.