When taking a pulse

ArmyofOne1911

ArmyofOne1911

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When taking a pulse do you count to 60, 30, or 15 seconds?

I was practicing last night and I personally count to thirty and then just multiply that by 2. Should I get in the habit of counting to fifteen and then just multiply the beats by 4?

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.

If I stick to taking a pulse for 30 seconds would that be alright? Or do you recommend doing 15 seconds instead. I know every seconds counts.

Thanks all.
 
It doesn't matter so long as you get the correct answer. Personally I count for 10 and multiply by 6 normally. If the pulse is irregular, you probably should count for the full sixty though.
 
ArmyofOne1911 said:
When taking a pulse do you count to 60, 30, or 15 seconds?

I was practicing last night and I personally count to thirty and then just multiply that by 2. Should I get in the habit of counting to fifteen and then just multiply the beats by 4?

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.

If I stick to taking a pulse for 30 seconds would that be alright? Or do you recommend doing 15 seconds instead. I know every seconds counts.

Thanks all.
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I usually count for 15 or 30, then multiply.
 
15 seconds, and i'm usually within 4bpm of any other providers vitals, so that's good enough for me.
 
If it's regular I count for 15 secs, if it's irregular I count the full minute.
 
ArcticKat said:
If it's regular I count for 15 secs, if it's irregular I count the full minute.
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This.

And dont worry. Multiplying by 4 sometimes throws me off. I always get the right number but sometimes its faster to times my 2.

Or..... You.can count 15 seconds and multiply by 2 twice.

Example....

17beats in 15 seconds.

17x2 is 34.

34x2 is 68.

Wah la 68bpm. Lol
 
My first pulse I will normally count 10 or 15 seconds. For subsequent ones, if it feels largely the same, I'll count for 6 and then throw a zero on the number I get.
 
If it's a scheduled dialysis patient's second/third set of vitals and they appear to be in reasonably good health, probably not more than 10 seconds. Sometimes only 5 seconds, though LandS15 makes a good point about the counting to six and adding a zero. If we are on an "emergency call" where the patient is actually likely to be somewhat sick, I'm more apt to go for 30 seconds to a minute so as to come up with a good descriptor for the "quality" of the pulse that some triage nurses are known to ask for.
 
I count for 3 minutes and 10 seconds then divide by 3.16.
 
bigbaldguy said:
I count for 3 minutes and 10 seconds then divide by 3.16.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't that be 3.17?

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


mmmmmh, pie.

BRB
 
I may actually take the pulse rate twice... I might first take it for 6 seconds to get a ball-park figure of fast/normal/slow and I like to see one or two resp cycles in that time, no more or less... again for ball-park fast/normal-ish/slow. I'm not looking for precision: I'm looking for some measure of "do I have to work really really fast?" I normally don't record these vitals for that very reason. It's just a screening tool... Later I'll do a more accurate 15 second (normal-ish), 30 second (abnormal but regular), or 60 second (irregular) for counting the pulse, along with a more formal BP and resp count.

Sooo... it all just "depends" upon the situation...
 
ArcticKat said:
Shouldn't that be 3.17?

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


mmmmmh, pie.

BRB
Click to expand...

actually its 3.16666667 or some such number but why make it overly complicated.
 
To the most part I take a pulse right before I take the B/P. I palpate for the artery so I know where my steth should go. I only take the pulse for 15 seconds then x2 and then x2 again.

When my medic asks for the B/P he likes the pulse to be given at the same time (order of the paperwork). So instead of saying B/P of 122/80 and ummm let me measure pulse really quick, I have both vitals pretty much at the same time.
 
ArmyofOne1911 said:
When taking a pulse do you count to 60, 30, or 15 seconds?

I was practicing last night and I personally count to thirty and then just multiply that by 2. Should I get in the habit of counting to fifteen and then just multiply the beats by 4?

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.

If I stick to taking a pulse for 30 seconds would that be alright? Or do you recommend doing 15 seconds instead. I know every seconds counts.

Thanks all.
Click to expand...
When i was taking my courses at the Moreno valley academy we were completeing our skills sign offs for vitals. I started out by doing a full 60 then i stayed at 30.... but then my instructors got on me and said take your vitals quicker, so, i went to 15 and kept practicing. so now i go from 10 to 15 seconds. It really doesnt matter as long as you get an accurate reading.. but i find it easier and faster when your out in the field to get used to doing 10 seconds. You will get accurate readings with plenty of practice
 
firefite said:
To the most part I take a pulse right before I take the B/P. I palpate for the artery so I know where my steth should go. I only take the pulse for 15 seconds then x2 and then x2 again.

When my medic asks for the B/P he likes the pulse to be given at the same time (order of the paperwork). So instead of saying B/P of 122/80 and ummm let me measure pulse really quick, I have both vitals pretty much at the same time.
Click to expand...

I work with a gal occasionally who is somehow able to watch the gauge on the BP cuff, a watch and count beats at the same time. She is thus able to get a pulse and BP simultaneously. It truly is impressive. And I have never known her to get a wrong number. I didn't believe it the first time. But time and again, she proves herself more than able to get dead on numbers every time. Lol.

But with her you can ask what day a certain date is, and she knows right away. Ie. What is December 3, 2012? And she will answer whatever it is without hesitation. I get the feeling her brain is in some form of over drive while I'm still trying to figure out how to shift mine from first to second. Lol!
 
Who counts a pulse anymore? Lifepak 12 FTW :D

Seriously tho, Brown counts by 15 and mutliplies by 4

Just for the sake of all that is good in the world dont ask Brown to count the respiratory rate!
 
MrBrown said:
Who counts a pulse anymore? Lifepak 12 FTW :D

Seriously tho, Brown counts by 15 and mutliplies by 4

Just for the sake of all that is good in the world dont ask Brown to count the respiratory rate!
Click to expand...

Who uses a Lifepak 12 any more...... :ph34r:






:rofl: Just kidding.....kind of. :-)
 
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