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Measuring blood pressure, Part I

LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer, September 2, 2004

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An estimated one out of every six people in North America suffers from high blood pressure, also called hypertension. The condition can lead to strokes, heart disease, and kidney failure. Blood pressure is measured in two stages. When the heart contracts and pumps the blood into the arteries, it is called systolic. The force of the blood in the arteries during the phase when the heart relaxes between contractions, is called diastolic. High blood pressure is generally defined as a systolic pressure greater than 140 and a diastolic pressure greater than 90. Although the normal blood pressure reading for adults is 120/80, a slightly higher or lower reading may be normal for a particular individual. The following is the first of two parts on the general steps to taking a resident's blood pressure:  Introduce yourself and explain the procedure to the resident  Make sure the resident has rested for at least 10 minutes and not smoked or had caffeine in the previous 30 minutes  Assist the resident to a comfortable position  Expose the arm to about five inches above the elbow  Extend and support resident's arm at the heart level, with the palm upward  Squeeze all air from the cuff of the instrument used to measure blood pressure, which is called a sphygmomanometer  Check to see that the indicator is at zero  Place the center of the inflatable cuff over the brachial artery, two inches above the elbow  Wrap and secure the proper size cuff snugly around the arm  Place the sphygmomanometer gauge in the correct position  Clean the earpieces of the stethoscope with an alcohol sponge  Place the stethoscope in your ears and place the diaphragm of the stethoscope over the resident's brachial pulse  Use fingers, not your thumb, to hold the diaphragm in place Check in next week, as we continue to outline the steps necessary to measure blood pressure.

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