Carotid and Jugular exam

How to examinate the carotid artery (pulse, etc) and the Jugular veins.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Physical
• exams
• carotid
• medicine
• jugular

[arti115]

u dont use your thumb to feel for any pulse: the thumb has a pulse of its own!

[silatk]

@Soger91 Most professional in the world auscultate first then palpate. This I saw in France, The Netherlands, Mexico, Spain, Peru, Thailand, and England. Not sure about the rest of the world but there is a reason as to why first auscultate and then palpate. Text books at times have major mistakes.

[joshamu]

thanks dude

[cabbalistic]

@ToothEnvy

So did mine. If you press the thumb against another digit, you hardly feel any pulse. It can't possibly negate the perception of a strong carotid pulse.

[ToothEnvy]

@arti115

You're right for palpating other pulses, but feeling for the carotid pulse is the exception I think. My medical school taught me to use my thumb as well.

[Cheschire7]

You do actually feel for the carotids with your thumb. their pulsation is much more powerful than anything you'd feel in your thumb, so you don't run the risk of getting confused. As per the other discussion, in Ireland med school we are taught to auscultate last. When you palpate first, at least you know you are listening where you ought to be. All our textbooks concur! :)

[lovycat29]

@arti115 Not to sound smart, but i learnt yesterday that some medical colleges fail their final year students if they use the wrong finger(s) to feel for the carotid artery. the doctor taught us to use the thumb.

[TeslaDRay]

this sounds old, like from 80's.

[bazamah]

I was always taught to palpate gently for a thrill then auscultate.

[silatk]

@Soger91 Odd most textbooks and schools to always first auscultate first then palpate. And this applies to most of the body.