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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Was the doctor inappropriate?

77 replies

Mookie81 · 09/02/2019 06:53

I was at the hospital for an ECG due to high blood pressure. I saw the doctor afterwards and he was perfectly pleasant.
I had to lay on the bed while he checked my pulse in different areas- my wrists, my ankles and my groin area. I had to push my waistband down while he felt my pulse in the crevice between the top of my thigh and my vagina.
Can people tell me if this is normal?

OP posts:

Dimsumlosesum · 09/02/2019 06:55

Well seeing as your pulse is going to be the same wherever you check this is pretty fucking alarming!!!

CluedoAddict · 09/02/2019 06:55

Yes my DH had one yesterday and the nurse did the same.

katykins85 · 09/02/2019 06:57

Yes this happened to me too when I had an ECG years ago. Don't worry OP

Playingfootball · 09/02/2019 06:57

It’s totally normal to check your femoral pulse. It’s not normal to describe it as the “crevice between the top of my thigh and my vagina”. It’s not really anywhere near your vagina.

Fayrazzled · 09/02/2019 06:59

Your blood pressure reading can very in different places- you can get different readings from each arm, for example. Differences help the medics understand what is the underlying cause, if there are vascular problems etc. I've no idea about a pulse near your nethers but I wouldn't immediately assume the doctor was inappropriate. Why not ask?

Playingfootball · 09/02/2019 07:00

dimsum, your pulse CAN be different in different places and this can be a sign of serious medical problems, so it’s important that more than one pulse is checked.

MsChanandlerBoing · 09/02/2019 07:00

Totally normal - it’s to check for quality of femoral pulse and for radio-femoral delay (if present could be a sign of other medical problems related to high blood pressure)

FixTheBone · 09/02/2019 07:00

Depends why you were there.

@dimsumlosesum - don't comment if you don't have the foggiest about what you're talking about.

The alarming thing is that the doctor should have explained why it was necessary. There are lots of (extremely potentially serious) conditions where the Pulses are out of sync or weaker in one part of the body compared to another indicating a blockage or anatomical problem with the vessels.

AguerosAngel · 09/02/2019 07:01

I had the same examination a few weeks back OP. Completely normal.

dottycat123 · 09/02/2019 07:02

I expect he was checking if there was a good pulse in each area in consideration of possible dvt (blood clot)/ occluded vein. A discernable pulse would be a basic check and if no obvious pulse further investigation would be required. I am a nurse not midwife so there may be some other reason. He should have explained what he was doing and why.

lavenderbluedilly · 09/02/2019 07:03

Well seeing as your pulse is going to be the same wherever you check this is pretty fucking alarming!!!

There’s lots of conditions that can cause disparity between the pulse in different areas of the body - peripheral arterial disease, coarction of the aorta etc. And it’s not unusual to check a femoral pulse

DevonLulu · 09/02/2019 07:08

What an excellent doctor you have! How reassuring to know that they are taking time to exclude serious pathology. How fabulous to hear that despite being rushed, under staffed and moaned about on mumsnet, they are taking steps to ensure your health.

How disappointing to hear you don’t know where your own femoral pulse is, and that instead of asking to educate yourself, you immediately feel that this health care professionals is being inappropriate.

What a world!

OrgyofSausages · 09/02/2019 07:16

Of course it is entirely appropriate. Agree with DevonLulu. Give the NHS some credit why don't you?

Sickoffamilydrama · 09/02/2019 07:17

Ex cardiac nurse here, your femoral pulse can definitely be in the crease of your leg. I did thousands of procedures on people and for some it might be deeper in the crease than others.

OrgyofSausages · 09/02/2019 07:17

I suppose next you'll be ranting on about how a Doctor performing a smear test had the audacity to go near you vaginal area won't you? .

LL83 · 09/02/2019 07:19

@devonlulu OP seems quite neutral and is asking a question, now she has had the answer and hopefully will be reassured.

Many people would not be aware of different pulses. My friend is a GP, my sister is a nurse, my mum has had an ECG but this is new information to me. Topic hasn't come up, everyone can't know everything.

AstralTraveller · 09/02/2019 07:19

Dimsum that's not true. a trained medic can tell a lot from feeling the pulse in different parts of the body. Quality as well as quantity is what is being checked here.

MarkingTimeIm59 · 09/02/2019 07:19

If you haven’t had your pulse taken in that area before, then it’s understandable you were concerned. I haven’t and would hope that the doctor would explain how and why he was doing it!
Good to hear from PP that it just sounds like a thorough examination
Hope you feel better soon OP.

EatDessertFirst · 09/02/2019 07:20

Sounds normal to me. He was nowhere near your vagina, he was checking your femoral pulse.

Its quite shocking how people miscontrue a thorough medical examination as an attempt by the doctor to get his rocks off. Sounds like he was doing his job very well and maybe you need to research the technique or maybe even ask questions during his examination. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer your questions while he is doing his job properly.

VashtaNerada · 09/02/2019 07:21

I think OP is getting a hard time here! I didn’t really know about checking a pulse there or that pulse could vary around your body. I think it’s fine to check with us if it’s normal. It’s not like she leapt up and slapped the doctor in the face!

PCohle · 09/02/2019 07:22

Did you ask at the time to have the procedure explained to you OP?

Maneandfeathers · 09/02/2019 07:23

@dimsumlosesum The amount of people with 0 medical or anatomical knowledge is astounding. Of course it’s normal to check pulses in various places on the body

DevonLulu · 09/02/2019 07:24

Well ask at the time of the procedure!

The doctor is a trained professional who would only be too happy to advise you.

Mumnet is not the forum for this.

ittakes2 · 09/02/2019 07:24

Op you are getting a hard time from some people but the whole point of AIBU is for people to sense check their thoughts with the masses so please ignore them. I have a lovely 70 plus friend who told me a story of going to a doctor in her early 20s to talk about her leg veins being removed...and he did an internal vaginal exam and I think also checked her breasts as part of the consult. But from what lots of people have said what happened to you is perfectly normal so I hope you now feel reassured.

Dimsumlosesum · 09/02/2019 07:27

Jesus Christ you nasty harpies what on earth is wrong with being alarmed by that? God you lot are really horrible sometimes.

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