Answer:
In an unconscious/unresponsive adult, the preferred pulse point is the carotid artery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Unlike a conscious patient, the chief question we're trying to answer when checking the pulse is if they have one. Someone that's awake and talking obviously does, but that can't be assumed in an unconscious person, so it makes sense to go for the strongest point first. The absence of a pulse at any other point would not indicate the absence of a heartbeat, only that it isn't strong, enough to reach those more distal points.
Unlike a conscious patient, the chief question we're trying to answer when checking the pulse is if they have one. Someone that's awake and talking obviously does, but that can't be assumed in an unconscious person, so it makes sense to go for the strongest point first. The absence of a pulse at any other point would not indicate the absence of a heartbeat, only that it isn't strong, enough to reach those more distal points.Unlike a conscious patient, we aren't concerned with alarming them or building rapport, so there's no downside to going right to the most reliable pulse point.
Unlike a conscious patient, the chief question we're trying to answer when checking the pulse is if they have one. Someone that's awake and talking obviously does, but that can't be assumed in an unconscious person, so it makes sense to go for the strongest point first. The absence of a pulse at any other point would not indicate the absence of a heartbeat, only that it isn't strong, enough to reach those more distal points.Unlike a conscious patient, we aren't concerned with alarming them or building rapport, so there's no downside to going right to the most reliable pulse point.An unconscious person is at greater risk of an immediately life-threatening situation, so a more aggressive approach is justified.