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Sun Oct 7 16:18:14 BST 2007

Hi all!
Even though I'm a representative of the lists lurkers, I'd like to chance it
on a question this time.

A myriad of emergency medical textbooks state that systolic pressure can be
guesstimated according to pulse location. I.e. a palpable radial pulse
equals systolic pressure above 80-90 mmHg, femoral pulse above 70-80 mmHg
and a carotid pulse above 60 mmHg. I've done several searches (medline,
google scholar, proquest and other local Norwegian sources) and can't find
neither a reliable or an unreliable source of evidence for such a claim. 

I have also been told (from a very unreliable source I might add) that this
claim comes from an old study done on pigs, and that the data was
extrapolated and transferred on to humans. And that a later study has
falsified the pulse-systolic pressure claim. I can't find any references on
this either.

So, is there anyone in here that knows of any strong sources to support
either claim? Is the dogma of radial>90sys, femoral>80sys and carotid>60sys
a myth or a fact?

Your humbly

Carl Christiansen
EMT
University Hospital of Northern Norway

PS.
The only related material I have found is this:

Charles D Deakin and J Lorraine Low. 2000. Accuracy of the advanced trauma
life support guidelines for predicting systolic blood pressure using
carotid, femoral, and radial pulses: observational study. BMJ 2000 321:
673-674. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7262/673 

DS.

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Concerning pulses, pressures, myths and facts