Vital Signs - Pulse

Physical Examination – Pulses

Physical Examination – Pulses (Pulse Testing)

Location and name of pulses:

Upper Extremity

Lower Extremity

Femoral: In the crease of the hip (when you bend over)
Popliteal: Very difficult to find. Fairly deep, slightly medial of dead center in posterior knee.
Anterior tibial: Find the tibia (front of the shin), and feel along the lateral edge of the bone (with the tibialis anterior muscle). Easiest to feel about halfway down the shin.
Dorsalis pedis: On the top of the foot, about 1/3 of the way to the toes, feel for the bony prominence on the medial side of the dorsum
Posterior tibial: On the medial ankle, find the bony prominence (the medial malleolus). Roll your finger towards the angle of the heel, and feel for the pulse. Posterior tibial artery – branch of popliteal.
Head & Neck
Common carotid: Find the bottom part of the lateral edge of the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple), then feel 1-2 cm lateral to that. Common carotid artery – branch of aorta on the left, brachiocephalic trunk on the right.
External carotid: About 2 cm anterior of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, along the fold of the jaw (the crease made when you put your chin to your chest).
External carotid artery: branch of common carotid artery.
Temporal: Find the top part of the ear that is attached to your face (usually level with the angle of the eye), and about 1 cm anterior is the pulse.

Source :
http://www.meditec.com/resourcestools/medical-reference-links/pulse-testing