Taking a person’s pulse is the most basic of all medical procedures. It consists of checking a person’s heartbeat by feeling their arteries. It is often used to determine a person’s heart rate, which is a key health indicator. It is also used in emergencies to check if a person’s heart is still beating.
Knowing how to check a pulse — whether your own or another person’s — is a skill everyone should have. The following are some basic techniques you can use.