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British Journal of Nursing - How to take manual blood pressure.How to Take Blood Pressure Manually: A Step-by-Step Guide
With a little practice you'll know how to find your systolic and diastolic pressure readings and what those numbers actually mean. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.
You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. Read More Open the airflow valve to deflate the cuff gradually, then note the measurement on the gauge at the precise moment you hear the heartbeat again.
This is the systolic reading. Next, note the measurement on the gauge at the moment you stop hearing the heartbeat. This measurement is your diastolic reading.
For tips from our medical reviewer on how to take your own blood pressure, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Popular Categories. Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies. Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues. Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games. All Categories. Edit this Article.
We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Verify that you have the right cuff size. However, if you have an especially narrow or wide arm, or if you plan to take the blood pressure of a child, you may need a different size.
Check the size of a cuff before buying it. Look at the "index" line. This is the range line on the cuff that tells you if it fits. If you do not use the proper cuff size, you may end up with an inaccurate measurement. Avoid factors that can increase blood pressure. Certain conditions can cause blood pressure to spike temporarily.
In order to get an accurate measurement, you or your patient should avoid these conditions before taking your blood pressure. Factors that can affect blood pressure include: stress, smoking, exercise, cold temperatures, a full stomach, a full bladder, caffeine, and some medications. If you need to check the patient's blood pressure regularly, try to do so at the same approximate time each day. Find a quiet place.
You will need to listen your, or your patient's heartbeat, so a quiet setting is ideal. A quiet room is also a calm room, so someone who rests in a quiet room while checking his or her blood pressure is more likely to feel relaxed, rather than stressed. Therefore you are more likely to get an accurate reading. Get comfortable. Since physical stress can affect a blood pressure reading, you or the patient whose reading you take, should get comfortable.
For example, use the bathroom before you have your blood pressure taken. It's also a good idea to keep yourself warm. Find a warm room, or if the room is chilly, wear an extra layer of clothing to keep warm. In addition, if you have a headache or body ache, try to reduce or relieve the pain before taking your blood pressure.
Remove tight sleeves. Roll up your left sleeve or, better yet, change into a shirt that exposes your upper arm. Blood pressure should be measured from the left arm, so the sleeve should be removed from the upper left arm. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Resting will assure that your heart rate and blood pressure have the chance to stabilize before the measurement is taken.
Find a comfortable and appropriate location to take your blood pressure. Sit in a chair next to a table. Rest your left forearm on the table. Position your left arm so that it rests at about heart level.
Keep the palm of your hand facing up. Sit up straight. Your back should be against the back of the chair and your legs should be uncrossed. Part 2. Locate your pulse. When you press lightly you should be able to feel the pulse of your brachial artery from this position. If you have difficultly locating your pulse, place the head of the stethoscope the round piece at the end of the tube in the same general area and listen until you can hear your heartbeat.
Wrap the cuff around your arm. Tuck the cuff end through the metal loop and slide it onto your upper arm. The cuff should be roughly 1 inch 2. Make sure that your skin is not pinched by the cuff as you wrap it securely.
The cuff should have heavy duty velcro on it, which will hold the cuff closed. Check the tightness of the cuff by slipping two fingertips underneath. If you can wiggle the two fingertips under the top edge but cannot wedge your full fingers beneath the cuff, the cuff is tight enough. If you can wedge your full fingers under the cuff then you need to open up the cuff and pull it tighter before closing it again.
Slide the head of the stethoscope under the cuff. The head should be face down, with the wide part of the chest piece in contact with the skin. It should be positioned directly over the pulse of your brachial artery that you found earlier. The earpieces should face forward and point toward the tip of your nose. Position the gauge and the pump. The gauge needs to be positioned where you can see it. If taking someone else's blood pressure, you can hold the gauge in whatever position you want as long as you can see the face of the gauge clearly.
You should hold the pump in your right hand. Turn the screw on the pump bulb clockwise to close the airflow valve, if necessary. Part 3. Inflate the cuff. Stop once the gauge reads 30 to 40 mmHg above your normal blood pressure. If you do not know your normal blood pressure, inflate the cuff until the gauge reads between to mmHg. Deflate the cuff. Open the airflow valve by twisting the screw counterclockwise.
Let the cuff deflate gradually. While everyone is different, the AHA recommends the following ranges for healthy adults:. If one number falls into one of the other categories, your blood pressure is considered to be in that category. If your blood pressure ever goes over systolic or over diastolic after a repeat reading, seek emergency medical care right away. Monitoring your blood pressure can help you and your doctor identify any issues early on. Treatment may involve lifestyle changes , such as:.
There are two ways to measure your blood pressure at home. The simplest way is to use an automated blood pressure cuff, which you can purchase online or at most grocery stores or drugstores.
This method is recommended by the AHA for at-home blood pressure monitoring. You can also measure your blood pressure manually. This is a more complicated option.
This will help your doctor identify any issues early on and determine the right type of treatment for you. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Lifestyle changes can significantly reduce high blood pressure and even lower your risk of hypertension in the future.
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Learn more. But what's normal and what do the numbers mean? View charts, learn about symptoms…. How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. About blood pressure Automated readings Manual readings Testing tips Blood pressure apps Normal range Treatment Bottom line We include products we think are useful for our readers. How we vet brands and products Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.
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Read more about our vetting process. What do blood pressure readings tell you? How to use an automated blood pressure machine. A step-by-step guide to checking your blood pressure manually. Position your arm straight, palm facing up on a level surface, such as a table. Place the cuff on your bicep and squeeze the balloon to inflate the cuff.
Using the numbers on the aneroid monitor, inflate the cuff about mm Hg over your normal blood pressure. Once the cuff is inflated, place the stethoscope with the flat side down on the inside of your elbow crease, toward the inner part of your arm where the major artery of your arm is located. Be sure to test the stethoscope before using it to make sure you can hear properly. You can do that by tapping on the stethoscope. Record or remember that number.
This is your systolic blood pressure. When the rhythm stops, record that measurement. This is your diastolic blood pressure. Tips for using your blood pressure cuff. Apps to track your blood pressure. Category Systolic Diastolic Normal less than less than 80 Elevated less than 80 High blood pressure stage 1 hypertension High blood pressure stage 2 hypertension or higher 90 or higher Hypertensive crisis call your local emergency services higher than higher than
How to take manual bp
Note that many EMS professionals and clinicians skip this step in favor of obtaining an immediate auscultated pressure, which can lead to an underestimation of the systolic blood pressure in the presence of an auscultatory gap—a condition in which Korotkoff sounds disappear for a range of up to 30 mmHg before reappearing. You should strive to inflate the cuff to 30 mmHg above the palpated systolic pressure—no more and no less. This avoids both under- and over-inflating the cuff. Looking at the face of the manometer at an angle can result in parallax error—an inaccurate measurement due to optics.
Characterization of auscultatory gaps with wideband external pulse recording. A doctor may recommend monitoring blood pressure at home if a person needs to know their blood pressure at specific times of the day or after taking certain medications.
How can Medicare help with monitoring blood pressure? To check blood pressure without the aid of an automated machine, a person will need several medical items:. A person who wishes to check their blood pressure manually should ensure that they select the correct size of manual cuff to get the most accurate reading. They can then follow these steps:. Doctors often use this type of monitor, as it is more accurate than a digital monitor.
However, it can be more difficult for people to use at home. The easiest and most accurate way to measure blood pressure at home is to buy an automated blood pressure monitor with an upper arm cuff. The instructions for use may vary among machines, and a person should follow them carefully to ensure proper operation.
Using a high quality machine is important. Inaccurate readings can be misleading if they are too low or cause unnecessary stress if they are too high. If a person is checking their blood pressure at home as part of a treatment plan, inaccurate readings could lead to harmful changes in medications or treatments.
People can buy a blood pressure monitor for home use here , but it may be a good idea to ask a doctor which brand they recommend. Apps and wrist devices are available that claim to measure blood pressure, but experts warn that these are often of poor quality.
As a result, the readings may be inaccurate. However, apps that log blood pressure results may be helpful for people who need to take regular blood pressure tests.
Recording a set of readings in these apps may help doctors identify trends in blood pressure and recommend treatments. Learn about some of the apps available. Blood pressure readings fall into the following categories :. However, a healthy number can vary among individuals. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to both methods—a level of clinical knowledge and skills for manual and electronic measurements are requirements within clinical practice. Pulse irregularities can cause inaccuracies in electronic readings NICE, ; Foley, and this can lead to false diagnosis and incorrect treatment.
In addition, if there are any doubts over an electronic BP reading, a manual reading should be obtained to verify BP Dougherty and Lister, Using clinical judgement when doubts arise is often associated with the art of noticing Tanner, ; Watson and Rebair, : Lancaster et al, Failure to interpret and, ultimately, respond appropriately to clinical cues to uncover clinical signs of deterioration linked to changes in BP can have serious consequences Watson and Rebair, ; Lancaster et al, Poor technique is another factor that can lead to inaccuracies in BP measurements.
Inaccuracies with the readings often result from reduced hearing, which can be caused by the incorrect opening of the diaphragm of the stethoscope and incorrect insertion of the earpieces i. Loose and incorrectly placed cuffs are a common problem associated with inaccurate BP measurements. So ensure that:. Opening, closing and controlling the valve, in particular the speed, are common problems that lead to inaccurate readings. This can be avoided, so:.
How to take manual blood pressure. ISSN print : ISSN online : What is blood pressure? Box 1. Blood pressure basics Blood pressure can be obtained manually, via electronic methods and invasively Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury mmHg A blood pressure reading is calculated by obtaining a systolic and diastolic reading and is recorded similar to a fraction, one reading over another, i.
What is involved in taking a manual BP? Figure 1. An aneroid sphygmomanometer a and stethoscope b The sphygmomanometer consists of a cuff that houses an inflatable bladder, a manometer dial and a mechanism to pump up the cuff, known as the inflation bulb. Measurement of BP involves: Depressing the inflation bulb, forcing the air inside into the bladder in the cuff Releasing the bulb, allowing air to re-enter the bulb The process is then repeated.
How long does it take to lower blood pressure? Experts say that it all depends on your diet and exercise routine, as well as on additional conditions.
Quitting drinking , for instance, might be a god start. Do you ever take your blood pressure at home? Have you considered researching more on how to take blood pressure properly? Do let us know your results.
Image Source : Med-Health. Rest the gauge in the open palm of the hand of your cuffed arm so that you can clearly see it. Then, squeeze the pump rapidly with your opposite hand until the gauge reads 30 points above your usual systolic pressure. Be sure to inflate the cuff rapidly. Stop squeezing. Turn the knob on the pump toward you counterclockwise to let the air out slowly. Let the pressure fall 2 millimeters, or lines on the dial, per second while listening for your heart sounds.
Note the reading when you first hear a heartbeat. This is your systolic pressure. Rest quietly and wait about one to two minutes before taking another measurement. Record your numbers either by writing the information down or by entering the information into an electronic personal health record.
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