BP Troubleshooting

[anm]

Hey all,

Theoretical question about best sites for BP measurements. Situation:

Arm 1: Contraindicated due to fistula, mastectomy or stroke

Arm 2: IV

What is your practice for taking BP?

Would you choose a lower extremity site first? Use a site on IV arm below/above IV? Would you do anything differently if the IV is either running or saline locked? Looking for tips, tricks, stories. Thank you!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I work OR, so this is probably limited to short term. If we can't use an arm for one reason or another, we will indeed take the blood pressure on the same arm the IV is in. We have the luxury where anesthesia is right there to deal with the pump alarms.

I've had a family member in the hospital where one was was contraindicated for use for anything and the other had no available IV access below the elbow. While they still had the IV in the upper arm, they were using the forearm for BP. Once that arm also became contraindicated to be used for anything, they switched to calf for BP. However, the automatic machine couldn't get a reading and they had to break out the old fashioned way. The CNAs had no idea how to do a manual BP, meaning the nurse had to do all BPs.

[Crash_Cart]

2 hours ago, Rose_Queen said:

The CNAs had no idea how to do a manual BP, meaning the nurse had to do all BPs.

Good grief.