To pick the right size cuff, measure the bladder of the cuff against your patient’s arm. The bladder is the part of the cuff where the air enters it. The bladder should go at least 80 percent of the way around the patient’s arm.
Remind the patient that he should not talk while you are taking his blood pressure. Try to calm down an anxious patient by asking about his day or something he enjoys. You can also ask him to take a few deep breaths to relax him. If you take the reading while he is still anxious, it can give a falsely high reading. Nonetheless, some patients will always be nervous in a doctor’s office. If the patient is very anxious, try giving him five minutes to relax and calm down.
The patient’s arm should be bare of restrictive clothing with the sleeves of any clothing comfortably rolled up. However, ensure that the rolled-up clothing isn’t cutting off the blood supply. The arm should be slightly flexed at the elbow, and supported throughout the reading on a flat, stable surface. Make sure the patient is comfortable in this position. If he’s not, it can give a falsely high reading.
The cuff should be fairly tight to get an accurate reading. It should be tight enough that it should be hard for you to get two fingers under the edge of the cuff.
If you don’t want to take it twice, a standard recommendation is to inflate to 180 mmHg.
Never use your thumb to hold the head of the stethoscope in place. The thumb has a pulse of its own which can interfere with your ability to hear the patient’s pulse. Hold the stethoscope in place with your index and middle fingers instead.
The systolic number represents the pressure that blood exerts against the walls of an artery following a heart beat or contraction.
The diastolic number represents the pressure that blood exerts on the walls of an artery when the heart relaxes between contractions.
The patient should record her blood pressure for two to three weeks and record the results and bring this information to her physician for a proper diagnosis.
Prehypertension runs from 120 to 139 in systolic pressure and 80 to 89 in diastolic pressure. A normal blood pressure range is anything under that, though your blood pressure can be too low. [22] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source Doctors do not have an exact range for low blood pressure. Generally, low blood pressure is only a problem if you’re having symptoms. Symptoms include dizziness, an inability to concentrate, thirstiness, tiredness, nausea, fast breathing, and blurry vision. [23] X Trustworthy Source American Heart Association Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education Go to source
