What it means
In anatomy, "radial" means on the thumb side of the forearm, near the radius bone. The radial artery runs there, and its pulse is felt on the inside of the wrist below the thumb. It is the pulse most often counted for vital signs and a common site for drawing an arterial blood gasar-TEER-ee-ul BLUD GASA blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.Full entry . Outside anatomy, radial means spreading out from a center, like spokes.
For the nurse
Before drawing blood from the radial artery, an Allen test checks that the hand also gets blood from the ulnar artery.
In a chart
"Radial pulses 2+ and equal bilaterally."
At a glance
| Spanish | radial |
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Related terms
heart rate
How many times the heart beats per minute.
arterial blood gas
A blood test from an artery that measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and the blood's pH.
forearm
The part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist.