The pulse: Assessment

Why are the four axes taught before the classical names?

1. Because the names are unreliable
2. Because the axes are a simplification for beginners
3. Because the names are combinations of axes: once you can place the axes, the name appears by itself and is understood

Which axis decides in each case?

• Telling an exterior picture from an interior oneDepthSpeedStrengthShape
• Telling cold from heatDepthSpeedStrengthShape
• Telling deficiency from excessDepthSpeedStrengthShape
• Telling a stagnation from a dampDepthSpeedStrengthShape
• Knowing whether something just arrived or has been there monthsDepthSpeedStrengthShape
• Telling a thin pulse from a slippery oneDepthSpeedStrengthShape

A 40-year-old man: chest tightness, sighing, digestion worse with work. Which pulse confirms the picture?

1. Slippery and slow
2. Wiry, especially in the left central position
3. Superficial and forceless

A 70-year-old patient has an irregular rhythm they had never noticed and reports dizziness on standing. What do you do?

1. Recommend medical assessment without drama and do not read it as a sign in this system
2. Record it as an irregular pulse from stagnation and treat the Liver
3. Repeat the reading and, if unchanged, treat anyway

Coldness, abdominal pain that refuses pressure and retained stools. Build the pulse you expect.

What is the most honest way to record a pulse in the notes?

1. Just the classical name, which is more precise
2. The four axes and, where appropriate, the name and any reproducible differences between positions
3. A global judgement such as «regular pulse»