Next, we shall examine the carotid arterial pulses. These are assessed one at a time – the left and the right vessels – in their location, just medial to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Use very gentle pressure, placing your fingertip over the vessel to assess the contour of that impulse and its amplitude. A little technique that is helpful is using a cotton swab, placing it over the vessel to analyze the impulse – both its amplitude and its contour.