MovieChat Forums > Clear and Present Danger (1994) Discussion > Testing someone's pulse- with your THUMB...

Testing someone's pulse- with your THUMB??

posted 11 years ago by jh66
2 replies | jump to latest

Surely most people know that you have a pulse in your thumb, and should never check your own/someone else's pulse (ie. the carotid artery in their neck) with it?

From Medical News Today-
"Finding your pulse on your neck (carotid artery)

You can find your pulse by pressing two fingers on the side of your neck (carotid artery), beside your Adam's apple in the hollow area."

Even the dumbest medical rookie would know this, or any civvie with an ounce of brains, yet CIA analyst Ryan - whose wife is a doctor- performed this classic film mistake upon one of his dead colleagues at the ambush - thumb to neck! So the dead guy might have seemed to be alive.

Just more Hollywood retardedness.

[–] bprokosz 11 years ago

It is a really old movie...CPR has changed like 5 times since then and that stuff might not have been taught to a typical analyst.

[–] Acid_Tears 11 years ago

You can check for a pulse with your thumb when looking for sign of life, especially in the neck. Best place would be on the sides if of the "adams apple". However, don't expect an accurate bpm measurement with your thumb.