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PubMed2006

Effect of teaching and type of stethoscope on cardiac auscultatory performance.

BACKGROUND: Auscultation of the heart is a routine procedure. It is not known whether auscultatory skills can be improved by teaching or with the use of an advanced stethoscope. METHODS: This study was a randomized trial with a 2 x 2 factorial design. Seventy-two house officers were randomized to a simple or an advanced stethoscope and to a 4-hour course in auscultation or no course. The doctors auscultated 20 patients' hearts and categorized findings as normal or as one or more of 5 categories of heart diseases. Patients were selected such that 16 had a known heart disease as well as a corresponding murmur and 4 had no heart disease or murmur. Auscultatory performance was assessed as concordance with echocardiographic findings and interobserver variation. RESULTS: Doctors using the advanced stethoscope diagnosed 35% of the patients correctly, as compared with doctors using the simple stethoscope who did 33% of the patients (P = .27). Similarly, 34% of the patients were diagnosed correctly by doctors who had received teaching as compared with 33% of those who were by doctors who had received no teaching (P = .41). The kappa values were higher for doctors who had received teaching for aortic stenosis (0.43 vs 0.28, P = .004) and ventricular septum defect (0.07 vs 0.01, P = .003). There was no difference between groups for any other single murmur or for the detection of murmurs as such. CONCLUSION: Heart auscultation findings were in poor accordance with echocardiographic findings and had high interobserver variation. Neither outcome improved to any important extent with the subjects' use of an advanced stethoscope or attending of a course in heart auscultation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Out-of-hospital use of a pulse oximeter to determine systolic blood pressures.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Blood pressure (BP) in the out-of-hospital setting is one of the most important diagnostic tools used by emergency medical services (EMS) providers. Conventional methods of palpation and auscultation can be time consuming, and the measurements often are inaccurate because of the adverse working conditions encountered. Pulse oximetry waveform systolic blood pressure (POWSBP) measurement has been used successfully in emergency departments to monitor BP. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of field POWSBP measurements obtained by noninvasive electronic BP measurement (NIBPM), auscultation, and palpation in the out-of-hospital environment. DESIGN: Blood pressure measurements used for this study were obtained by POWSBP, NIBPM (PROPAQ model 102; Protocol Systems, Beaverton, Oregon USA), auscultation, and palpation on patients in moving ambulances. Measurement of POWSBP was accomplished by observing the return of the waveform on the pulse oximeter at the time of cuff deflation. The order in which the readings were obtained as well as the arm chosen for measurement were randomized. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Paramedics and emergency medical technicians in an urban, inner-city emergency medical services (EMS) system. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Blood pressure measurements were sampled from 69 patients. Regression analysis identified significant correlation between POWSBP and the four methods utilized, with r = 0.92 for NIPBM, r = 0.95 for auscultation, and r = 0.97 for palpation, all significant at p < 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: The use of POWSBP measurement is a fast, easy, and accurate technique with which to measure systolic BP in the field. It may have special importance for noisy environments and moving vehicles in which conventional methods of auscultation or palpation may be difficult.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Automated blood pressure measurements during exercise.

One of the critical parameters measured during exercise is blood pressure. However, the accurate measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressure during exercise is difficult with auscultation and impractical with direct arterial techniques. The purpose of this study was to compare an automated system (Colin, Inc. STBP-680) with auscultation in humans during rest and exercise and to compare the automated system with direct arterial blood pressure measurement in a canine model during pharmacological challenges that resulted in a wide range of blood pressure values. Compared with direct arterial blood pressure taken in the canine model, the STBP-680 gave good estimates of diastolic blood pressure and adequately monitored relative changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure (mean arterial pressures in all instances were calculated as one-third systolic plus two-thirds diastolic blood pressures). Compared with auscultation methods in humans, the STBP-680 gave similar estimates of resting diastolic blood pressure and monitored relative changes in resting systolic blood pressures, diastolic blood pressures, and mean arterial pressures. During both treadmill and cycle ergometer exercise in humans, the STBP-680 monitored changes in systolic blood pressure, phase IV diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. Further, the STBP-680 estimated exactly and noted relative changes in heart rate in every test. However, during exercise, quantitative estimations of systolic blood pressure by the STBP-680 were higher than those found using auscultation. Where exact, quantitative measures of blood pressure are needed, direct arterial measurement continues to be the most accurate method. However, where indirect methods can be used, the STBP-680 may provide a suitable alternative that reduces many of the technical concerns of auscultation in young, healthy individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Near-drowning and drowning classification: a proposal to stratify mortality based on the analysis of 1,831 cases.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To establish an updated classification for near-drowning and drowning (ND/D) according to severity, based on mortality rate of the subgroups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 41,279 cases of predominantly sea water rescues from the coastal area of Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil, from 1972 to 1991. Of this total, 2,304 cases (5.5%) were referred to the Near-Drowning Recuperation Center, and this group was used as the study database. At the accident site, the following clinical parameters were recorded: presence of breathing, arterial pulse, pulmonary auscultation, and arterial BP. Cases lacking records of clinical parameters were not studied. The ND/D were classified in six subgroups: grade 1--normal pulmonary auscultation with coughing; grade 2--abnormal pulmonary auscultation with rales in some pulmonary fields; grade 3--pulmonary auscultation of acute pulmonary edema without arterial hypotension; grade 4--pulmonary auscultation of acute pulmonary edema with arterial hypotension; grade 5--isolated respiratory arrest; and grade 6--cardiopulmonary arrest. RESULTS: From 2,304 cases in the database, 1,831 cases presented all clinical parameters recorded and were selected for classification. From these 1,831 cases, 1,189 (65%) were classified as grade 1 (mortality=0%); 338 (18.4%) as grade 2 (mortality=0.6%); 58 (3.2%) as grade 3 (mortality=5.2%); 36 (2%) as grade 4 (mortality=19.4%); 25 (1.4%) as grade 5 (mortality=44%); and 185 (10%) as grade 6 (mortality=93%) (p<0.000001). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that it is possible to establish six subgroups based on mortality rate by applying clinical criteria obtained from first-aid observations. These subgroups constitute the basis of a new classification.

Accidents↗
PubMed2004

Prehospital determination of tracheal tube placement in severe head injury.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective study in the prehospital setting was to compare three different methods for immediate confirmation of tube placement into the trachea in patients with severe head injury: auscultation, capnometry, and capnography. METHODS: All adult patients (>18 years) with severe head injury, maxillofacial injury with need of protection of airway, or polytrauma were intubated by an emergency physician in the field. Tube position was initially evaluated by auscultation. Then, capnometry and capnography was performed (infrared method). Emergency physicians evaluated capnogram and partial pressure of end tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)) in millimetres of mercury. Determination of final tube placement was performed by a second direct visualisation with laryngoscope. Data are mean (SD) and percentages. RESULTS: There were 81 patients enrolled in this study (58 with severe head injury, 6 with maxillofacial trauma, and 17 politraumatised patients). At the first attempt eight patients were intubated into the oesophagus. Afterwards endotracheal intubation was undertaken in all without complications. The initial capnometry (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%), capnometry after sixth breath (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%), and capnography after sixth breath (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%) were significantly better indicators for tracheal tube placement than auscultation (sensitivity 94%, specificity 66%, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Auscultation alone is not a reliable method to confirm endotracheal tube placement in severely traumatised patients in the prehospital setting. It is necessary to combine auscultation with other methods like capnometry or capnography.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Direct and indirect blood pressure in critical care patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between direct intraarterial blood pressure readings and indirect auscultated blood pressure readings by using different listening pieces and auscultation sites. The two listening pieces used for correlation and comparison were the bell and the diaphragm of the stethoscope. The two sites for auscultation were the antecubital fossa and the upper arm immediately superior to the internal medial condyle and medial to the biceps tendon. Simultaneous direct and indirect blood pressure readings were obtained from 50 critical care patients with indwelling radial arterial lines. The averages for three blood pressure readings obtained from each site and for each listening piece were correlated and compared with the averages of three simultaneous direct blood pressure readings. Statistical testing was done separately for systolic and diastolic readings. Auscultation techniques using both listening pieces and sites were found to be accurate, r greater than .8 for all correlations; p less than .0001 for all comparisons, but auscultation using the diaphragm of the stethoscope over the brachial artery in the upper arm provided the most accurate readings.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Fetal monitoring and predictions by clinicians: observations during a randomized clinical trial in very low birth weight infants.

Predictions about perinatal outcome in very low birth weight infants were studied in a randomized clinical trial of electronic fetal monitoring and periodic auscultation to assess the effect of diagnostic monitoring information on clinicians' ability to predict perinatal outcomes. The only predictions consistently correct before monitoring information was available were those regarding infant survival (88% correct, kappa [kappa] = 0.40, P less than .001 for the electronic fetal monitoring group; 80% correct, kappa = 0.35, P less than .01 for the periodic auscultation group). After monitoring, predictions of 5-minute Apgar scores and arterial cord pH were significantly more accurate, and clinicians' confidence in their predictions increased significantly in both the electronic fetal monitoring and the auscultation groups. Predictions of 5-minute Apgar scores were significantly more accurate in the electronic fetal monitoring group (92% correct, kappa = 0.80) than in the periodic auscultation group (61% correct, kappa = 0.28) (Z difference = 3.04; P less than .01). We conclude that clinicians gain information during intrapartum monitoring that generally leads to improved predictions and increased confidence in predictions. In this study, they made more accurate predictions about 5-minute Apgar scores with electronic fetal monitoring, suggesting that electronic fetal monitoring may provide better information about neonatal well-being than does periodic auscultation. Improved information, as measured by clinical predictions, is probably highly valued by patients and clinicians and may be an important determinant of acceptance of this diagnostic technology.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed1995

Multimedia presentation of lung sounds as a learning aid for medical students.

New educational technologies might help to compensate for the decrease in time and emphasis dedicated to physical examination in medical training. This may, in particular, be applicable for improving the skills in auscultation of the chest. We investigated whether a multimedia presentation of acoustic and graphic characteristics of lung sounds could improve the learning of pulmonary auscultation by medical students, in comparison with conventional teaching methods. We studied 48 medical students without clinical experience, who had received conventional formal teaching on chest examination. Chest auscultation skills were evaluated using an inaccuracy score for the student's auscultation report on three patients, selected according to a standardized procedure. After a baseline evaluation, 27 students in groups of 5-10, participated in a multimedia seminar on lung sounds during which digitized lung sounds were played and the corresponding time-expanded waveform and frequency spectrum were commented on and displayed on a computer. The remaining 21 students received conventional bedside training, acting as control group. The following week, all the students underwent a second evaluation of chest auscultation skills. No differences in the inaccuracy score were observed between the two groups in the preliminary test. However, in the second postintervention assessment, the inaccuracy score of the students who had followed the seminar (11.2 +/- 1.3 points) was significantly lower than that of the controls (16.6 +/- 1.6 points). The answers to a feedback questionnaire confirmed that the great majority of the students found the association of the acoustic signals with their visual image to be useful for learning and understanding lung sounds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2000

Continuous electronic heart rate monitoring for fetal assessment during labor.

BACKGROUND: Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) has been widely adopted. There is debate about its overall effectiveness as well as the relative merits of routine application versus use for high-risk pregnancies only. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of routine continuous electronic fetal monitoring during labour compared with intermittent auscultation. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register, Medline (1966 to 1994), and reference list of relevant articles. We also contacted experts in the field. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials comparing routine continuous electronic fetal monitoring with intermittent auscultation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted by one reviewer, and their accuracy was confirmed independently by a second person. A single reviewer assessed study quality based on criteria developed by others for randomised controlled trials. Data reported from similar studies were used to calculate a combined risk estimate for each of eight outcomes. MAIN RESULTS: Nine studies involving 18,561 women and their 18,695 infants were included. The trials were of variable quality. A statistically significant decrease was associated with routine continuous EFM for neonatal seizures (relative risk (RR) = 0. 51, confidence interval (CI) = 0.32,0.82). The protective effect for neonatal seizures was only evident in studies with high-quality scores. No significant differences were observed in 1-minute Apgar scores below 4, 1-minute Apgar scores below 7, rate of admissions to neonatal intensive care units, and perinatal death. An increase associated with the use of EFM was observed in the rate of cesarean delivery (RR = 1.41, CI = 1.23,1.61) and operative vaginal delivery (RR = 1.20, CI = 1.11,1.30). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: The only clinically significant benefit from the use of routine continuous EFM was in the reduction of neonatal seizures. In view of the increase in cesarean and operative vaginal deliveries, the long-term benefit of this reduction must be evaluated in the decision reached jointly by the pregnant woman and her clinician to use continuous EFM or intermittent auscultation during labor.

Cardiotocography↗
PubMed1977

Detection of aortic insufficiency by pulse Doppler echocardiography.

Sixty-five patients were studied for the presence of aortic insufficiency by auscultation, conventional M mode echocardiography (echo), range-gated pulse Doppler flowmeter (Doppler), and supravalvular aortic angiography. Aortic insufficiency was demonstrated angiographically in 49 patients, of which eight (16%) were missed by auscultation. Echo missed 20 (41%), and Doppler missed seven (14%). Only two (4%) were missed by auscultation and Doppler combined. All methods were highly specific, but the combination of auscultation and Doppler was the most sensitive noninvasive method for detecting aortic insufficiency.

Aortic Valve Insufficiency↗
PubMed2002

Comparison of three different methods to confirm tracheal tube placement in emergency intubation.

OBJECTIVES: Verification of endotracheal tube placement is of vital importance, since unrecognized esophageal intubation can be rapidly fatal (death, brain damage). The aim of our study was to compare three different methods for immediate confirmation of tube placement: auscultation, capnometry and capnography in emergency conditions in the prehospital setting. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study in the prehospital setting. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: All adult patients (>18 years) were intubated by an emergency physician in the field. Tube position was initially evaluated by auscultation. Then, capnometry was performed with infrared capnometry and capnography with infrared capnography. The examiners looked for the characteristic CO(2) waveform and value of end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)) in millimeters of mercury. Determination of final tube placement was performed by a second direct visualization with laryngoscope. Data are mean +/- SD and percentages. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Over a 4year period, 345 patients requiring emergency intubation were included. Indications for intubation included cardiac arrest ( n=246; 71%) and non-arrest conditions ( n=99; 29%). In nine (2.7%) patients, esophageal tube placement occurred. The esophageal intubations were followed by successful endotracheal intubations without complications. The capnometry (sensitivity and specificity 100%) and capnography (sensitivity and specificity 100%) were better than auscultation (sensitivity 94% and specificity 83%) in confirming endotracheal tube placement in non-arrest patients ( p<0.05). Capnometry was highly specific (100%) but not sensitive (88%) for correct endotracheal intubation in patients with cardiopulmonary arrest (capnometry versus auscultation and capnometry versus capnography, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Capnography is the most reliable method to confirm endotracheal tube placement in emergency conditions in the prehospital setting.

Auscultation↗
PubMed1982

Comparison of noninvasive techniques in evaluation of the nontissue cardiac valve prosthesis.

The ability of bedside auscultation, echophonocardiography and cinefluoroscopy to detect prosthetic valve malfunction was compared in 81 patients with a Bjork-Shiley aortic or mitral valve prosthesis or a Beall mitral valve prosthesis. In 32 patients with an abnormal mitral valve prosthesis proved by cardiac catheterization, the sensitivities of auscultation, echophonocardiography and cinefluoroscopy were 94, 78 and 88 percent, respectively. In 25 patients with a normal mitral valve prosthesis, the specificities were 96, 64 and 89 percent, respectively. Twelve patients had an abnormal aortic valve prosthesis; the sensitivities of auscultation, echophonocardiography and cinefluoroscopy were 92, 58 and 33 percent, respectively. In 12 patients with a normal aortic valve prosthesis, the specificities were 100, 75 and 92 percent, respectively. Auscultation can detect almost all cases of malfunction of nontissue prosthetic valves. Echophonocardiography and cinefluoroscopy can detect most cases of malfunction of mitral valve prostheses, but false positive studies are common; both procedures are less useful in detecting malfunction of aortic valve prostheses.

Aortic Valve↗
PubMed1985

The Dublin randomized controlled trial of intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring.

In a randomized controlled trial involving 12,964 women, a policy of continuous electronic intrapartum fetal heart monitoring was compared with an alternative policy of intermittent auscultation, both policies including an option to measure fetal scalp blood pH. Women allocated to electronic fetal heart monitoring had shorter labors and received less analgesia. The caesarean delivery rates were 2.4% for electronic fetal heart monitoring and 2.2% for intermittent auscultation but this small difference arose from the identification of nearly twice as many fetuses with low scalp pH (less than 7.20) in the electronic fetal heart monitoring group. The forceps delivery rate was 8.2% in the electronic fetal heart monitoring group compared with 6.3% in the intermittent auscultation group, and this excess was explained by more instrumental deliveries prompted by fetal heart rate abnormalities. There were 14 stillbirths and neonatal deaths in each group, with a similar distribution of causes. There were no apparent differences in the rates of low Apgar scores, need for resuscitation, or transfer to the special care nursery. Cases of neonatal seizures and persistent abnormal neurological signs followed by survival were twice as frequent in the intermittent auscultation group, and this differential effect was related to duration of labor. Follow-up at 1 year of babies who survived neonatal seizures revealed three clearly abnormal infants in each group. The implications of these findings for both theory and practice are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The assessment of three methods to verify tracheal tube placement in the emergency setting.

We studied prospectively the reliability of clinical methods, end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) detection, and the esophageal detector device (EDD) for verifying tracheal intubation in 137 adult patients in the emergency department. Immediately after intubation, the tracheal tube position was tested by the EDD and ETCO(2) monitor, followed by auscultation of the chest. The views obtained at laryngoscopy were classified according to the Cormack grade. Of the 13 esophageal intubations that occurred, one false-positive result occurred in the EDD test and auscultation. In the non-cardiac arrest patients (n=56), auscultation, the ETCO(2), and EDD test correctly identified 89.3, 98.2*, and 94.6%* of tracheal intubations, respectively (*, P<0.05 vs. the cardiac arrest patients). In the cardiac arrest patients (n=81), auscultation, the ETCO(2), and the EDD tests correctly identified 92.6**, 67.9, and 75.3% of tracheal intubations, respectively (**, P<0.05 vs. EDD and ETCO(2)). The frequencies of Cormack grade 1 or 2 were 83.9% in the non-cardiac arrest, and 95.1% in the cardiac arrest patients. In conclusion, the ETCO(2) monitor is the most reliable method for verifying tracheal intubation in non-cardiac arrest patients. During cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however, negative results by the ETCO(2) or the EDD are not uncommon, and clinical methods are superior to the use of these devices.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Comparison of three clinical techniques for evaluating joint sounds.

Two-hundred two consecutive adult patients presenting to the University of Kentucky for general dental care screening were examined for temporomandibular joint sounds by three techniques: (1) lateral pole surface palpation, (2) digital palpation in the external auditory canal, (3) auscultation by a stethoscope. Sixty-nine patients reported joint sounds, but only 32 had sounds diagnosed by auscultation resulting in a 54% false-negative reporting rate. Stethoscopic auscultation was used as the standard to which the other two techniques were compared. The false-negative rate for auditory canal digital palpation was 71% and 77% for lateral pole surface palpation. Surface palpation had only a 2% false-positive incidence while auditory canal digital palpation had a 51% false-positive rate. There was poor agreement between the patients' subjective reporting and clinical exam by any technique. Using stethoscopic auscultation as the standard, both auditory canal and surface palpation had a very high false-negative rate, but only the auditory canal palpation had a poor false-positive incidence. Auditory canal palpation often produces TMJ sounds that are not heard with a stethoscope during normal opening and closure.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Evaluation of the Suntech Accutracker. A novel noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitor.

The "Accutracker," a novel ambulatory blood pressure monitor based on auscultation triggered by the electrocardiographic R wave, was evaluated by comparing its blood pressure readings with those obtained by direct auscultation. Simultaneous measurements were made (in 24 volunteers, by 4 trained observers) using a Y connector so that the Accutracker and a mercury sphygmomanometer were in parallel. Average blood pressure by direct auscultation (215 readings) was 129.1 +/- 12.0/77.8 +/- 14.4, and by Accutracker was 130.9 +/- 13.0/75.9 +/- 14.5 mm Hg (P less than 0.01). The Accutracker overestimated systolic blood pressure by 1.7 +/- 5.8 and underestimated diastolic blood pressure by 1.9 +/- 7.6 mm Hg. The average difference between pairs of readings was 5.0 mm Hg for systolic and 5.5 mm Hg for diastolic pressure. These data indicate that the concordance of blood pressure readings recorded by Accutracker and direct auscultation is sufficient to justify its use in noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Auscultation↗
PubMed2005

Accuracy of oscillometric blood pressure monitoring with concurrent auscultatory blood pressure in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Oscillometric devices are commonly used to measure blood pressure and their validation entails sequential measurements of auscultated and oscillometric blood pressures. It is unknown whether simultaneous measurement of auscultated blood pressure and concurrent digitization and recording of the sounds can improve assessment of such devices. The aim of this study was to develop a technique of simultaneous measurement of blood pressure using oscillometric and auscultated measurements in the same deflation. Using such a device, we validated the Omron HEM-907 blood pressure measuring device in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Twenty non-hypertensive subjects and 20 hemodialysis patients were studied. Six blood pressure readings were obtained in each participant; three readings were obtained using the automatic, oscillometric mode of Omron HEM-907 and three readings were obtained using the manual mode of the Omron HEM-907. In each situation, simultaneous digitized Korotkoff sounds and manometric pressures were recorded. The grading scale indicated by the British Hypertension Society protocol was used to assess the device. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure measured simultaneously by digitized sound and pressures agreed closely for systolic pressure (Grade A for both hemodialysis and normal controls) but not for diastolic pressure (Grade C for both hemodialysis and controls). Sequential comparison of oscillometric readings with auscultated systolic and diastolic pressure yielded a Grade B for both hemodialysis patients and controls. When concurrent digitized systolic readings were used, however, Grade A was achieved for both populations for systolic readings, but Grade C for diastolic readings. The mean differences (SD) between the oscillometric and auscultatory blood pressure reading in normal controls were 4.3 (8.9) and 0.6 (8.7) for systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. In hemodialysis patients, the mean differences (SD) were 2.7 (9.3) and 0.4 (7.0) for systolic and diastolic blood pressures, respectively. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous measurement of digitized Korotkoff sounds and pressure can improve the assessment of devices for systolic but not diastolic blood pressure. The Omron HEM-907 device can be recommended for use in hemodialysis patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Heartbeat assessment in infants: a comparison of four clinical methods.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of four clinical methods (apex ear auscultation; brachial, carotid, and femoral pulse palpation) for detecting and counting heart beat in infants. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, repeated-measures study design. Prospective data collection. SETTING: A postanesthesia care unit of a pediatric teaching hospital in Italy. PATIENTS: Fifty-six normotensive sedated infants, aged 1-12 mos, were evaluated by 14 pediatric basic life support (PBLS)-qualified health professionals. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The proportion of successful heartbeat detections ranged from 60% with carotid pulse palpation to 98% with apex auscultation. Among successful detections, apex auscultation proved to be the most rapid way to detect heart rate (median, 4 secs) and the most accurate with a median discrepancy of 8 beats/min (vs. 12 with the other methods) from the electrocardiographic results. Differences between apex auscultation and pulse palpation were statistically significant (p < .0001). In contrast, no significant differences were found among the three methods of pulse checking. CONCLUSIONS: Apex listening is the most successful, rapid, and accurate method to detect and count the heartbeat by PBLS-certified professionals in normotensive infants without instruments. Pulse checking remains important for assessing the effectiveness of circulation. Palpating the brachial, carotid, or femoral pulse is equally effective.

Arteries↗