How to take/read blood pressure cuff accurately? Help please?
You’re supposed to be listening to the blood flow via your stethoscope, not watching for the needle to ‘bounce’ since the needle can ‘bounce’ for many reasons. Pump up the cuff, insert your stethoscope under the inner edge by the elbow and listen carefully. You won’t be able to hear anything initially but when the blood starts to flow again you will hear a rushing or hissing sound (that’s the top number) and when you stop hearing this sound, it means blood flow is no longer restricted by the cuff (that’s the bottom number). The blood pressure is expressed as systolic pressure (when the heart is beating) over the diastolic pressure (when your heart is resting between beats).
