Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor Use
What is Blood pressure?
Blood pressure is a simple and painless procedure that gives us allot of useful information about our patients the heart and body condition.
Blood Pressure measurements taken with these devices are equivalent to an practitioner using a Cuff and stethoscope ausculatory method.
To take a blood pressure reading, the patient needs to be relaxed and comfortably seated, with the arm well supported.
The monitor detects blood pressure by inflating and deflating automatically for each persons needs. When the measurement is complete the monitor displays systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and pulse readings.
• The systolic pressure is the maximum pressure in an artery at the moment when the heart is beating and pumping blood through the body.
• The diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure in an artery in the moments between beats when the heart is resting.
The standard guidelines for normal blood pressure is 120/80. However, blood pressure varies among different people depending on age, sex, race, ect.
A cuff that inflates is wrapped around the upper arm and kept in place with Velcro. A tube leads out of the cuff and attaches to the machine.
1. Turn on the unit. Remove any bulky or tight fitting clothing. For accurate measurement choose the correct cuff size by making sure the arrow falls in the solid color line shown.
2. Position the cuff edge 0.8-1.2 inches above the elbow.
3. Center the tub over the middle of the arm. Pull the end of cuff evenly around the arm allowing two fingers to fit between cuff and arm.
4. Support the patients arm on the arm rest of chair so cuff is the same level as the heart. Advise the patient not to talk or move during reading.
5. Press start/stop button the cuff will inflate.
6.When the measurement is complete the cuff will deflate and the reading will appear on the screen.
7. Record reading in patients chart.
If the reading is high re-take at the end of the appointment and re- record.
If you get another high reading and for the best reliability, you might suggest the patient see their physician for a follow up and long term monitoring to rule out hypertension.
For more information:
https://www.bnl.gov/hr/occmed/linkable_files/pdf/hbp_fact_sheet.pdf
