Which pulse location is correct for an infant and a child?

Which pulse location is correct for an infant and a child?

• A. Infant: Brachial; Child: Femoral
• B. Infant: Carotid; Child: Radial
• C. Infant: Radial; Child: Carotid
• D. Infant: Femoral; Child: Brachial

Answer: (C)

When assessing a pulse in kids, choose a site that matches their size and anatomy so you can feel it reliably. For infants, the brachial artery in the upper arm is the preferred site because it’s more accessible and easier to palpate in a tiny limb. The radial artery, by contrast, is often hard to feel in an infant due to small vessels. For older children, the carotid artery in the neck is easier to locate and provides a clear, strong pulse that’s practical during rapid assessment. The femoral pulse is generally not used as the primary site for a quick pediatric pulse check. So the pairing that aligns with this approach is checking the brachial pulse in an infant and the carotid pulse in a child.

When assessing a pulse in kids, choose a site that matches their size and anatomy so you can feel it reliably. For infants, the brachial artery in the upper arm is the preferred site because it’s more accessible and easier to palpate in a tiny limb. The radial artery, by contrast, is often hard to feel in an infant due to small vessels. For older children, the carotid artery in the neck is easier to locate and provides a clear, strong pulse that’s practical during rapid assessment. The femoral pulse is generally not used as the primary site for a quick pediatric pulse check.

So the pairing that aligns with this approach is checking the brachial pulse in an infant and the carotid pulse in a child.