How To Use A Manual Blood Pressure Cuff

Check the tightness of the cuff.

How to use a manual blood pressure cuff. Use palpation to estimate the systolic blood pressure. You should place it tight enough so that you can only slip two fingertips under the top edge of the cuff. If pulse sounds are heard right away inflate to a higher pressure. Lightly press the stethoscopes bell over the brachial artery just below the cuffs edge.

Hold the pressure gauge in your left hand and the bulb in your right. Wrap the cuff around the upper arm with the cuffs lower edge one inch above the antecubital fossa. Make sure your skin doesnt pinch when the cuff inflates. Pull the end of the cuff so that its evenly tight around your arm.

Positioning the blood pressure cuff 1. Wrap the cuff around your arm. Release the pressure until the pulse returns and note the. Tuck the cuff end through the metal loop and slide it onto your upper arm.

The length of the cuffs bladder should be at least equal to 80 of the circumference of the upper arm. To begin blood pressure measurement use a properly sized blood pressure cuff. If this value is unknown you can inflate the cuff to 160 180 mmhg. When the bp cuff has inflated enough to stop blood flow you should hear no sounds through the stethoscope.

Once the cuff is on place the disk of the stethoscope facedown under the cuff just to the inner side of your upper arm. While palpating the radial pulse inflate the cuff until the pulse disappears.