For which conditions do you need to take a pulse?

Taking a pulse is critical when assessing the patient's circulatory status, particularly in situations involving arrhythmias and hemodynamics. In the context of Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) and Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA), evaluating the pulse is essential to determine if there is effective circulation.

In cases of VT, the heart may be beating rapidly, but it can still be poorly coordinated, which might result in insufficient blood flow to vital organs. Knowing whether there is a pulse provides vital information for the next steps in management—if a pulse is present, the approach differs from when it is absent.

In the case of PEA, the electrical activity of the heart can appear normal on an ECG, but if there is no effective contraction or blood flow, the patient is in a state that is clinically similar to cardiac arrest. Therefore, taking a pulse is necessary to ascertain whether resuscitation efforts are required and to guide subsequent treatment strategies.

Assessing a pulse is also relevant in conditions such as atrial fibrillation and stroke, but the specific criticality of pulse assessment in VT and PEA makes this choice particularly significant in the context of immediate life-saving interventions.