Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!ron From: ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: blood pressure Message-ID: <5130@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Mon, 8-Oct-84 13:52:56 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.5130 Posted: Mon Oct 8 13:52:56 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 9-Oct-84 20:03:45 EDT References: <3778@tektronix.UUCP> Organization: Ballistics Research Lab Lines: 41 If you use a cuff that is too small you can get a erroneously high reading. The active part of the cuff is called the bladder. If you have one handy flip it over and look at the inside. You can usually see or feel the rubber bladder that inflates. If you have a large arm, that area may be too small. Our ambulance carries several of the standard size cuff, a pediatric one (a regular cuff won't work at all on really small arms because the bladder wrapps all the way around and tries to flatten itself out) and a leg cuff. The leg cuff, while designed to be used on legs when the arm is not usable, is also the obese arm cuff. Other things that can give erroneous blood pressure are: 1. Cuff placement on the arm: The cuff should be placed so that the bottom is 1" above elbow. 2. Wrong markings on the cuff: The center of the bladder should be placed over the brachial artery. The little label on the cuffs are extremely unreliable. Always check cuffs that you are not familiar with (even ones that are the same model are often labeled differently). Locate the bladder and fold the cuff so that the ends of the bladder are even and this is the center line. 3. Incorrect procedure: When deflating the cuff, there may be a single surge at an erroneously high pressure. One beat is not the systolic pressure. Only when two beats have occured, are you assured that you have found the systolic pressure 4. Not waiting You must wait after attempting to take blood pressure before making another attempt. There may be more, but those are what comes to mind. Ron Natalie Cowenton Volunteer Fire Department