On an adult, where do you find the carotid pulse?

• A. In the temple
• B. In the groove at the side of the neck
• C. In the wrist
• D. In the groin

Answer: (B)

The carotid pulse is felt in the groove on the side of the neck because the common carotid artery runs up the neck there, just beneath the skin and beside the trachea, near the edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This makes it the most accessible place to palpate a strong, reliable pulse in adults. The temple pulse comes from the temporal artery, the wrist pulse is the radial artery, and the groin pulse is the femoral artery, so those areas correspond to different arteries.