need help with blood pressure

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I have successfully completed my first week of nursing school! It is A LOT of work and I have never been so stressed out in my life. After a day of classes I am completely drained and it is really hard for me to try and do my work without falling asleep but so far I have been good with staying on top of things.

Anyway, I'm a little confused with blood pressure. My instructor had us obtain a "baseline" on each other that way when we are tested we know what to pump up to. Do you ALWAYS have to find a "baseline" or is there a number that you can always pump up to in order to get an accurate reading? One of my classmates (who thinks she knows everything) was telling me to simply pump to 200mmHg if you don't want to obtain a baseline and it irritates me because she is already telling me what to do - she isn't my instructor! :banghead: Pumping to 200mmHg seems a little far-fetched to me. In LRC on Thursday I found out that my baseline is 110 (my partner's is the same too) so she told us to pump to 140mmHg to get an accurate reading - but seriously if someone pumped past 140mmHg on me, my arm would seriously begin to hurt and from 140 to 200mmHg, that's quite a difference in pressure in my opinion.

Also does anybody know of a website where I can practice reading blood pressure?

:bow: Thank you everyone and sorry for this ridiculous question! :nurse:

I'm having a lot of trouble with my blood pressure skills too...

I can't tell when I hear the systolic sound. Is the sound VERY distinctive and loud? or is it when you first feel like you hear a faint sound?

I can't tell if what I hear first is a muffling sound from not being completely still or if it's actually the systolic. It's driving me crazy.

I also know that it helps to look when the points start to bounce a little because that indicates when the systolic starts, but I don't hear anything until about 20 lower. I'm using the llittmann master cardiology steth so it makes me feel like even more of a failure since that's supposed to be one of the easiest to hear with. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Try this video. It'll help you get used to the sounds that you're listening for:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2088360524415226106&ei=KlzKSNvUL4a6rgK0r5DYAg&vt=lf&hl=en

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Yes, pumping 30 mmHg above the baseline is considered the correct way to get it.

However, dont be surprised when you see nurses in the real world pump it up to 200 while reading. I myself pump it up to 180, except when the arm is very thin.

Hope this helps.

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I'm having a lot of trouble with my blood pressure skills too...

I can't tell when I hear the systolic sound. Is the sound VERY distinctive and loud? or is it when you first feel like you hear a faint sound?

I can't tell if what I hear first is a muffling sound from not being completely still or if it's actually the systolic. It's driving me crazy.

I also know that it helps to look when the points start to bounce a little because that indicates when the systolic starts, but I don't hear anything until about 20 lower. I'm using the llittmann master cardiology steth so it makes me feel like even more of a failure since that's supposed to be one of the easiest to hear with. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Im not sure what you're asking. Try comparing your findings with the findings of your instructor, or with an electronic BP cuff. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Operating Theatre and Occ. Health.

Good grief! You all still using manual sphygs? In the UK all the hospitals have automatic ones and you just press the button and stand back! They are mostly Dinamap machines

However, I have a little semi-automatic when I do my occy health work - it requires manual inflation but thereafter is 'automatic'. I usually just inflate to around 180 and it will tell me within a second if it needs more. I also have one that is fully automatic but it seems to give erroneous readings too often for my tastes.

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hey i was very proud when i acquired my manual sphy skills

never use it on the ards but i trust me more than a machine with some patients

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Specializes in Coronary Rehab Unit.

We were taught to palpate the radial, pump until it "stops," then add 20 - 30 to take the bp

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