What Is the Brachial Artery?
The brachial artery is an artery which supplies blood to the arm and hand. This superficial artery is commonly used to take blood pressure and pulse measurements, because it is conveniently accessible to health care providers. Its superficial position can make it vulnerable to injury and damage, as for example when someone breaks the humerus, which can potentially cause trauma to the brachial artery. Concerns about trauma to this artery lead health care providers to be very careful when assessing patients who may be at risk for such trauma.
