Two Step Blood Pressures?

[lvmama]

Anyone else doing these? I was told that in PA they're going to be making it the standard for nursing students to learn.

It seems like an extra waste of time... but.. eh.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Can I ask what the procedure is? Never heard of this. Thank you.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Is this where you palpate a pressure, then auscultate one with a stethoscope?

[casi, ASN, RN]

I was taught it in school, but told not to use it in clinicals. We were told that the basis of using it was to find a baseline.

I will however say that it's a nifty trip to have up your sleeve when you are having trouble hearing a BP.

[lvmama]

I don't have my book right in front of me, and I worked all day, so I'll try to remember accuratley.. LOL...

Put the cuff on, locate the radial pulse, pump it up until you can no longer FEEL the radial pulse with your fingers. Deflate the cuff. Locate the brachial pulse, apply stethoscope, pump the cuff back up to +30 mmHg from whatever number the radial disappeared at... slowly release the air and listen for the standard starting/stopping sounds to determine systolic & diastolic numbers.

We're required to do it this way.. and it just seems silly to me.

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

Learning to palpate a BP is a great skill for people who will work in settings like EMS (where noise can limit the usefulness of your stethoscope), but I can't imagine it being a great benefit in a hospital or LTC setting.

[damarystx]

i was taught this in school but don't use it regularly in practice. I have used when I have had a hard time hearding a b/p.