JTA: D - b

Measuring blood pressure

• Have the patient in a seated position with palm facing up and arm at heart level.
• Have the patient relax and not move during the reading.
• Mark the brachial artery just above the antecubital fossa.

Slide 2

• Wrap the BP cuff snuggly around the upper arm.
• -2 inches above the antecubital
• fossa
• -Be sure to use the appropriate
• sized cuff (the cuff should
• encircle ≥80% of the upper
• arm)
• 
• Caption: http://www.jugosparabajardepeso.info/organdiagram/18962-18963

Slide 3

• Place the stethescope over the brachial artery.
• -Do not place the stethoscope
• underneath the cuff.
• 
• Caption: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2408861/Forgetting-daily-blood-pressure-tablets-dramatically-increases-risk-stroke-heart-attack-death.html

Slide 4

• Rapidly inflate the cuff to roughly 20 mmHg higher than the first Korotkoff sound.
• Release air from the cuff at a rate of 2 mmHg/sec.
• 
• Caption: http://www.bu.edu/today/2018/what-do-the-new-blood-pressure-recommendations-mean/

Slide 5

• As the cuff deflates, listen for the Kortokoff sounds.
• The first Korotkoff sound is the systolic blood pressure.
• The diastolic blood pressure is when the Korotkoff sounds disappear

Slide 6

• Blood pressure is recorded as "Systolic / Diastolic".
• Normal blood pressure: 120/80
• Hypertension: 140/90
• *Recorded on more than one occasion

Slide 7