Learning to read blood pressure with a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope can alert you to serious medical conditions such as stroke and heart attack. Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers--systolic and diastolic. They refer to the pressure on the arteries when the heart contracts and the pressure on the arteries when the heart is at rest.
Step 1
Ensure the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope include a dial gauge, a rubber inflating bulb that is attached to an air valve, and an arm cuff. The cuff should be completely deflated and the dial gauge needle should rest on zero. To deflate the cuff, turn the air valve counterclockwise until all the air is removed. Once deflated, turn the air valve clockwise until tightened. Place the stethoscope snugly into your ears and tap the end disk lightly. A thumping noise indicates the stethoscope is positioned correctly.
Step 2
Fasten the cuff securely around the upper arm, approximately one inch above the elbow crease. The cuff should generally be placed on the left arm because the left5 arm is closest to the heart. Do not attach the cuff too tightly as this may result in inaccurate readings. You should be able to slip one or two fingers between the cuff and the arm. The dial gauge should face forward.
If you're taking the reading, place the stethoscope earpieces in your ears and the disk on the brachial artery which runs through the crease of the elbow. Hold the disk firmly in place with one hand and the blood pressure bulb in the other.
Step 3
Begin pumping the rubber bulb rapidly while watching the dial gauge. Stop pumping once the needle in the gauge passes approximately 160 mmHg, or millimeters of mercury..
Step 4
Slowly loosen the air valve on the rubber bulb by turning it counterclockwise. The needle should decrease at a rate of 2 to 3 mmHg per second. Do not deflate too quickly as this can result in inaccurate results. Listen for the heartbeat in the stethoscope while watching the dial needle. Mentally note the number upon which the first beat was heard. That number is the systolic reading.
Step 5
Continue to slowly deflate the cuff at two to three mmHg per second.. Note the number at which the last beat was heard. That is the diastolic reading.
Step 6
Deflate and remove the blood pressure cuff. Record the readings with the systolic number written above the diastolic number.
Tips and Warnings
- Always make sure the arm of the person whose blood pressure you are taking is placed at heart level to ensure accurate readings. Always wait 3 to 5 minutes between readings. Normal resting values for a healthy adult is considered 120/80 mmHg.
Things You'll Need
- Blood Pressure Cuff
- Stethoscope
