Measuring Blood Pressure - Measuring Vital Signs

Blood pressure is typically measured over the right brachial artery using a stethescope and an appropriately-sized sphygmomanometer. The patient is first asked to rest for 3-5 minutes in either a sitting or supine position. The cuff of the sphygmomanometer is then applied firmly, but not too tightly, around the bare arm of the patient, about an inch above the cubital fossa. The patient's arm should rest in such a way that the cuff is at the same level as the heart. The examiner palpates the radial pulse with one hand while inflating the cuff with the other using the pump of the sphygmomanometer with the valve open. The cuff is inflated until the radial pulse disappears and then by a further 30mmHg. The valve of the pump is now closed. The diaphragm of the stethescope is placed over the brachial artery in the cubital fossa. The cuff is now deflated slowly by opening the valve of the pump such that the pressure drops at the rate of 2mmHg/second. The pressure at which Korotkoff sounds are first auscultated is noted as the systolic blood pressure. The pressure is allowed to slowly drop further and the pressure at which the Korotkoff sounds disappear is noted as diastolic pressure.

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