Which pulse is used when taking blood pressure?

• A. Carotid pulse
• B. Radial pulse
• C. Brachial pulse
• D. Femoral pulse

Answer: (C)

Blood pressure is measured with a cuff wrapped around the upper arm while listening for sounds over the brachial artery with a stethoscope. The brachial artery runs right under the cuff in the antecubital area, so placing the stethoscope there lets you hear the Korotkoff sounds as the cuff deflates and you determine systolic and diastolic pressures. The radial pulse at the wrist is useful for quick pulse checks but isn’t used to measure BP because the cuff and auscultation need to involve the brachial artery. Carotid and femoral pulses are checked for circulation or in emergency assessments, not for routine BP measurement. So, the pulse used when taking blood pressure is the brachial pulse.