Performing the Test
The Max Pulse test is easy to perform and can be done in as little as one minute. Here are simple instructions that will help you to get accurate results. Click to see an overview of the Max Pulse.
- Do not perform the test until 2 hours after the patient has taken caffeine. Do not let the patient smoke before the test. For most accurate results, the test should be done on an empty stomach (digestion can cause the body to tighten outer arteries and push blood to the internal organs).
- Have the test performed in a quiet room. Make sure there are no noises, vibrations or bright lighting that might disturb the patient during the short test.
- Have the patient relax for a few minutes before getting started. Anxiousness, tension, and stress affect the test. The test should be taken with the patient in a resting state since the pulse wave is affected by blood pressure, blood flow etc.
- The temperature of a room should be comfortable. If the clinic is kept cold or the climate is cold, then pay attention to make sure that the patient is warmed up before the test and does not have cold hands. Keep in mind that the device is using the volume of blood at the fingertip to track the heart and arteries. If the hands are cold, circulation to the fingertips can be too low for an accurate reading. (Disposable hand warmers can kept available in case of cold hands).
- Attach the finger clip lightly to the left index finger, making sure the clip is fully seated onto the finger. Make sure the finger clip is not being squeezed. There should be no pressure on the clip. For example a person who tucks their hands under their thighs will get an inaccurate readings.
- Acrylic nails (false nails) can block the Max Pulse sensor in some cases, especially if they are long and wont allow the sensor to be seated deeply on the finger. In this instance retest the patient when this has been removed.
- The patient should not move or talk and should keep their eyes open during the test. The patient should breathe normally during the test.
Important: Invalid Tests
Cold Hands and Patient Moving/Talking Can Show Up in a Variety of Ways.
- A coarse or irregular heartbeat graph
- no heartbeat graph at all
- heart rate impossibly high or impossibly low
- Arterial type score of less than 50% is showing as the dominant type. (Dominant arterial type is always more than 50% of the heart beats in accurate tests).
- 3 Way score. If the patient shows up with a percentage of heart beats in 3 or more categories, the test is invalid. Check for cold hands and re-test being strict with no moving and no talking during the test.
All these things indicate that the finger clip cannot read the patients finger. Warm up the hands and any of these issues that are present will disappear.