Standing or lying supine
If you wish to palpate on the skin, provide a private room and/or sheet or towel for cover. If you think this is necessary, ask the patient if he/she is willing to uncover the proximal medial thigh area. If yes, ask the patient to wear shorts or remove lower limb clothing except for underwear. Provide a towel and ask the patient to wrap the towel under the underwear, so the proximal medial thigh is exposed but the patientÃs genital area is covered with the towel. While the skin can not be viewed with clothes covering the area, the femoral pulse may be palpable over clothing.
Anterior or lateral to the patient.
Please stand with your thigh pulled back (or lie on your back with your foot on your opposite knee). In order to (explain the reason, e.g. assess the blood flow near your hip), it would be helpful for me to take your pulse near your groin. I may be able to do this with clothing on. May I place my fingers on the front of your thigh? (or point to the demonstrated area, which is much better). (If you could not feel the pulse), I could not feel the pulse so I will ask you to take this towel and wrap it under your underwear to uncover the front of your thigh near your hip. May I again place my fingers on front of your thigh?
Guide the patient to either stand with the hip extended or lie supine with the hip laterally rotated. Gently press your flat hand or several fingers on the medial anterior thigh. Palpate the pulse. Comparison of the pulse to that of the other side may be helpful.
VH - Femoral pulse