BLOOD PRESSURE

It is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels in which it is contained .

Purpose:
To know an accurate blood pressure reading, as a vital sign of the patients condition.
General Information:
1. Either arm may be used in taking the blood pressure, but usually itis one on the left arm. In repeated readings use the same arm
each time. If any doubt about the readings in one arm, check by taking the pressure on the other arm.
2. Whether the patient is sitting, standing or supine the position of the artery in which the blood pressure is measured must be at
the level of heart the box must be level.
3. The blood pressure cuff should be applied with the compression bag in the cuff centered over the artery to be occluded.
4. Sphygmomanometer should be viewed from not more than 3 feet and in a vertical position.
5. The stethoscopes bell or diaphragm should be applied gently and should be centered over the artery.
6. The sustolic is recorded when the first sound is heard and the diastolic when the sound disappears.
7. Wipe ear piece of stethoscope with 70% alcohol before and after use. Report any marked change in the blood pressure of a
patient, as this is an important sign. (A change in the reading by 10 mm hg is a marked change.) Report any unusually high or
low reading.
Equipment:
Stethoscope; sphygmomanometer, paper with pen or pencil
Procedure:
1. Position the patient correctly.
2. Place center of compression bag over the brachial artery just above the medical aspect of the elbow.
3. Wrap the cuff around the arm in flat folds, tucking the last 2 or 3 inches of the cuff into the final fold of the wrapping.
4. Adjust the near tubes of the stethoscope ready for use; locate the pulse of the brachial artery by feeling it.
5. Keeping your finger on the pulse, pump up the compression bag until the pulse is 10 mm higher. Place stethoscope diaphragm
over the spot where the pulse was felt.
6. Release the pressure very slowly by means of the screw valve on the bulb until the first sound is hear (a clear, sharp thud). This
is the systolic pressure reading.
7. Continue to let the cuff deflate and note the point at which the sound is no longer heard. (Occasionally the beat is heard all the
way down to O.) This is the diastolic pressure reading.
8. If in doubt as the reading, release the pressure entirely/and repeat the procedure. Record the result with the systolic reading over
the diastolic, e.g.120/70.
Palpation or pulse method of taking blood pressure.
Sometimes you are unable to hear the blood pressure or it is quite dim, in this case the following method may be used:
1. Prepare as for taking ordinary blood pressure reading, except that the stethoscope is not needed.
2. Place your fingers lightly over the radial or brachial artery and release the valve very slowly.
3. When the first pulsation is felt, read the column of mercury. This is the systolic pressure. No diastolic pressure can be taken by
this method.
Recording is done by writing the systolic blood pressure over a question mark, with a note that the pulse method was used, e.g. BP 90/?
(Pulse method).