How to Check Blood Pressure With a Sphygmomanometer

A sphygmomanometer, or blood pressure cuff, measures the force of blood against the artery walls. The top number of the reading represents the pressure during heart contraction (systolic), and the bottom number represents the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats (diastolic).

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff)
• Stethoscope

1. Take your blood pressure either lying down or sitting in a relaxed position. If sitting, support the arm on a flat surface and flex it slightly at heart level.
2. Use your index and middle finger to palpate the brachial artery, located at the bend of the elbow. Position the deflated cuff evenly around the upper arm, an inch above the bend of the elbow, having the middle of the bladder over the brachial pulse. Wrap and secure the cuff. It should be even and snug, but avoid applying it too tightly.
3. Place the diaphragm of the stethoscope over the brachial artery and listen for the sound of the pulse. Tighten the screw on the inflation bulb and quickly pump the cuff bladder up by squeezing the bulb repeatedly. Pump the cuff up ten points above the point where you were last able to hear the brachial pulse with the stethoscope.
4. Loosen the bulb screw slowly, watch the gauge closely, listen for a pulse and let the air escape from the cuff. Take note of the number on the gauge when you first begin to hear the sound of the brachial pulse again. This is the systolic pressure.
5. Continue to listen as the cuff deflates until you're unable to hear a pulse. This is the diastolic pressure. Deflate the cuff completely and remove it form your arm.
6. Record your blood pressure readings, the time and date, and from which arm you took the pressure.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you become familiar with taking a blood pressure, you'll be able to watch the gauge and see the slight pulsation when it reaches the systolic pressure. The pulsation stops during deflation when it reaches the diastolic pressure.
• Use the proper sized cuff or you may get an inaccurate reading. The inflatable bladder inside the cuff should go around 80 percent of an adult's arm and 100 percent of a small child's arm.