Medical First Aid Skill: Listening to the Heartbeat

Listening to the heartbeat is as important as taking a pulse. When you hear the person’s heartbeat means he or she is alive even if the pulse is so weak. How to listen a heartbeat: Here are the ways:

1. For men, put your ear below the breastbone slightly to the left of the nipple. For women, put your ear right below the left breast. For children, put your ear slightly to the left of the nipple
2. Count heartbeats for one full minute. You will find normal heartbeats for adult 60-90 times per minute. Children and babies can have higher ranges.

When the heartbeat is too fast, it means the person is suffering from agitation or panic, shock, or fever.