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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