Checking a Pulse: Carotid and Radial Technique

Checking a pulse tells you whether a person’s heart is still pumping blood around their body. It sounds simple, but under stress it is one of the skills people fumble most, which is part of why current CPR guidelines for lay rescuers now focus more on checking for normal breathing than spending long stretches hunting for a pulse.

Table of Contents

Carotid Pulse

The carotid pulse, felt in the neck, is the standard site trained rescuers use to check for a pulse in an unresponsive adult, since it tends to remain palpable even when blood pressure has dropped too low to feel a pulse at the wrist.

Locate the patient’s Adam’s apple with two fingers.
Slide your fingers into the groove between the windpipe and the large muscle at the side of the neck.
Press gently, since pressing too hard can compress the artery closed or, in some people, trigger a reflex that slows the heart further.
Feel for a pulse for up to ten seconds before deciding it is absent.

Radial Pulse

The radial pulse is felt at the wrist, on the thumb side of the palm side of the forearm, and is commonly used to check pulse rate in a conscious, stable patient rather than during an emergency assessment. It is easier to locate on yourself for practice and less invasive to check repeatedly than the neck.

What You Are Assessing

Rate: count the beats over a full minute, or over 15 seconds multiplied by four, for a reasonably accurate reading.
Strength: note whether the pulse feels strong or weak and thready.
Rhythm: note whether it is regular or irregular.

Typical Pulse Rate Ranges

These figures are general ranges and vary between individuals and with fitness, medication and anxiety.

Adults: roughly 60 to 100 beats per minute at rest
Children: roughly 80 to 120 beats per minute
Infants: roughly 100 to 160 beats per minute

A Practical Warning About Checking Your Own Pulse Instead

Never use your own thumb to check someone else’s pulse, since your thumb has a noticeable pulse of its own, and in a tense situation it is easy to convince yourself you are feeling the patient’s heartbeat when you are actually feeling your own.

Why Lay Rescuers Are Now Taught to Focus on Breathing First

Studies found that even trained responders often take too long, or get it wrong, when trying to confirm a pulse is absent under the stress of a real emergency. Current guidance for lay rescuers largely shifts the emphasis to checking for normal breathing, since an unresponsive adult who is not breathing normally should have CPR started regardless of whether a pulse can be confidently felt. Healthcare professionals with more regular practice still check pulse as part of a fuller assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the best place to check a pulse in an emergency?
The carotid pulse in the neck is the standard site used by trained rescuers checking an unresponsive adult.

How long should you check for a pulse?
Up to ten seconds. If you are not confident you can feel one in that time, treat the person as having no pulse and act accordingly.

Why should you avoid using your thumb to check someone’s pulse?
Your thumb has its own noticeable pulse, which can be mistaken for the patient’s, leading to an inaccurate assessment.

References and Last Reviewed

American Heart Association, Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care
International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations

Jurisdiction: General first aid guidance, internationally applicable.
Last technically reviewed: September 2026
Reviewed by: EHS Guidelines Editorial Team

This article is educational and does not replace accredited first aid training or professional medical care. In a real emergency, call your local emergency number immediately.

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Checking a Pulse: Carotid and Radial Technique Explained