Carotid artery is felt between the anterior border of the
sternocleidomastoid muscle, above the hyoid bone and lateral to the thyroid
cartilage.
Precautions while palpating the carotid artery
- The carotid artery should be palpated gently and while the patient is sitting or lying down. Stimulating its baroreceptors with low palpitation can provoke severe bradycardia or even stop the heart in some sensitive persons.
- A person's two carotid arteries should not be palpated at the same time. Doing so may limit the flow of blood to the head, possibly leading to fainting or brain ischemia.
