Which finding might be difficult to palpate in a patient who experienced a water emergency?

• A. Blood pressure
• B. Heart rate
• C. Respiratory rate
• D. Temperature

Answer: (A)

In a water emergency, the body’s response to cold and submersion often reduces peripheral blood flow. That peripheral vasoconstriction makes the pulse at the outside of the body, like the wrist, weak or even absent. Since palpating blood pressure relies on feeling the pulse as the cuff is inflated and then as it deflates (or on auscultating the Korotkoff sounds), a faint or non-existent pulse can make obtaining a reliable reading very difficult. Heart rate and respiratory rate are typically easier to gauge through central signs or by watching chest rise or listening for a pulse, and temperature is assessed with a thermometer rather than by palpation. So the blood pressure is the finding most likely to be hard to palpate in this scenario.