New York State Basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) Practice Exam

When taking a patient's pulse, what are you actually counting?

1. Pressure waves of blood that the heart sends through an artery

2. Swelling of the vein as blood returns to the heart

3. Heartbeats in the column of blood in a large vein

4. Vibrations of the heart muscles as they push blood through

The correct answer is: Pressure waves of blood that the heart sends through an artery

When assessing a patient's pulse, you are counting the pressure waves of blood that are propelled through the arteries as a result of the heart's contractions. Each time the heart beats, it ejects blood into the arterial system, creating a wave of pressure that travels along the arteries. This pressure wave is what you feel when you palpate a pulse point, such as the radial or carotid arteries. Understanding the mechanism of how a pulse is formed is essential for determining cardiovascular health. By counting the number of pressure waves over a specific time period, such as 60 seconds, you can determine the pulse rate, which indicates how effectively the heart is pumping blood throughout the body. The other choices do not accurately describe what a pulse measurement reflects. Monitoring swelling of a vein or vibrations from the heart muscles does not provide an accurate representation of the heart's activity or the flow of blood in the arteries, which is what pulse assessment is fundamentally about. Therefore, focusing on the pressure waves in the arteries gives you a true reflection of the cardiovascular function.