Femoral Pulse Palpation
Femoral Pulse When palpating the femoral pulse, you are feeling for the femoral artery that comes close to the surface in the femoral crease (the line between the end of the abdomen and the beginning of the inside of the thigh) midway between the pubic symphysis and the Anterior Superior Illiac Spine (ASIS). To palpate the femoral pulse:
- Place the tips of two to three fingers, (usually your index, middle, and ring finger if you use three) in the crease where the leg joins the anterior abdomen midway between the two bony landmarks of the pubic bone and the ASIS
- Slide the fingers slightly below the ligament that runs between the bony landmarks (if there is a lot of subcutaneous fat, you will need to push firmly).
- If not palpable, shift your fingers along the line from the PS to the ASIS
Press deeply, below the inguinal ligament and about midway between symphysis pubis and anterior superior iliac spine. Use two hands one on top of the other to feel the femoral pulse.