Subpulse

noun. A pulse that is so weak as to be unreliably detectable by manual palpation; a weak pulse

Subpulses (weak pulses) are difficult to detect. Since the Ancient Greeks, we have relied on 2 fingers to determine the most important vital sign—a pulse. It is now time to transform manual palpation into the objective and measurable vital sign the pulse is meant to be. It is the pulse that determines life or death.

PulseTape-Critical Care

The current standard is a coin flip

The experts in resuscitation, Emergency Medicine physicians, are only 54% accurate in determining a pulse in critically ill patients (Cohen et al., 2022).

WEAK PULSES ARE DIFFICULT TO DETECT

PULSE CHECKS TAKE TOO LONG

Physicians took an average of 24 seconds to make a decision on pulse presence (Tibballs et al., 2010)

WE FAIL WHEN THERE IS NO PULSE

Only 2% of first responders can recognize when a patient has no pulse in 10 seconds (Dick et al., 2000)

AHA GUIDELINES

“Detection of a pulse can be difficult . . . highly trained healthcare providers often incorrectly assess the presence or absence of a pulse when blood pressure is abnormally low or absent.” (American Heart Assoc., 2010)

"INNOVATION IS SEEING WHAT EVERYBODY HAS SEEN AND THINKING WHAT NOBODY HAS THOUGHT"

Dr. ALBERT SZENT-GYORGYI