Synonym
radial artery
Definition
The pulsating artery is an arterial vessel. It therefore carries oxygen-rich blood. It runs along the forearm and branches out into a delicate arterial network in the palm.
Anatomy of the pulmonary artery
In the area of the crook of the arm the A. brachialis (arm artery) branches out into two vessels. Both serve to supply the forearm and the hand with blood. The radial artery runs along the thumb side of the arm.
Here it runs along the front side of the arm and is accompanied by the nerve of the same name. In the area of the wrist, it moves to the back of the forearm and then passes through some of the muscles located there and ends in the palm. Here it branches out into an arterial plexus.
It is called the deep palmar arch (Arcus palmaris profundus). The arteries of this plexus have connections (anastomoses) to the arteries of the superficial palmar arch (Arcus palmaris superficialis), which forms the final section of the ulnar artery. Thus, although the two vessels run separately, they still have numerous connections.
- The radial artery and the
- Arteria ulnaris.
Clinical significance
The radial artery is the most frequently used artery for pulse measurement. Here, the index finger or the index finger and middle finger are usually placed just below the wrist on the thumb side and a pulsation is sought. Now you count the individual pulses.
The pulse is given as beats per minute. Actually the pulse beats would be counted over one minute. For the sake of practicality, however, in everyday clinical practice one usually only counts the beats within 15 seconds and then multiplies the result by four. In addition, the pulsating artery is often used as a sampling point for an arterial blood gas analysis (BGA). This is used to measure the proportion of various gases such as
- Oxygen and
- Carbon dioxide in the blood.
