How should an EMT assess a newborn's pulse?

How should an EMT assess a newborn's pulse?

• A. Auscultate the apical heart rate
• B. Gently palpate the base of the umbilical cord
• C. Auscultate the apical heart rate and palpate the base of the umbilical cord
• D. Check radial pulse

Answer: (C)

In a newborn, you want a reliable read on both heart activity and overall perfusion. The apical heart rate, heard with auscultation over the chest, provides the most accurate measure of how fast the heart is beating in a newborn. At the same time, palpating the base of the umbilical cord gives a central pulse that helps assess perfusion from the central circulation. Peripheral pulses, like a radial pulse, are often unreliable in newborns because peripheral perfusion can be poor even when the heart is beating. So using both methods—listening to the heart rate and feeling for a central pulse at the umbilical area—gives the most complete and accurate assessment of a newborn’s circulation.

In a newborn, you want a reliable read on both heart activity and overall perfusion. The apical heart rate, heard with auscultation over the chest, provides the most accurate measure of how fast the heart is beating in a newborn. At the same time, palpating the base of the umbilical cord gives a central pulse that helps assess perfusion from the central circulation. Peripheral pulses, like a radial pulse, are often unreliable in newborns because peripheral perfusion can be poor even when the heart is beating. So using both methods—listening to the heart rate and feeling for a central pulse at the umbilical area—gives the most complete and accurate assessment of a newborn’s circulation.