Manual blood pressure ugh please help!

KRODD · Mar 27, 2012

The systolic is difficult to hear on some older adults so I can sympathise with you. What equipment are you using?

Steth brand?

cuff size? Brand?

I bring my own equipment to work because alot of the cuffs I find leak or detach, are you hard of hearing? maybe you might want to try a electronic from littman?

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Mar 27, 2012

^^^ Good advice. Some patients are hard to hear, too. The best way to get better is to practice!!!!

sillylilly05 · Mar 28, 2012

my steth is a littman and the cuff brand i have no idea..just started the job and its one that is on the wall

Firefly1009 · Mar 28, 2012

Its best that you practice @ home on older adults if u can.. or before or after your shift practice on a few people.

GHGoonette, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2012

Before placing the cuff, palpate the brachial pulse, so that you can be sure you are placing your stethoscope directly over the artery.

Still not hearing it? Instead of listening try to palpate the radial pulse while releasing the pressure. If you are using one of the old "mercury column" baumanometers you will actually see the mercury column fluctuating once the pressure is released, giving you an eyeball of the BP range.

Alternatively, if you take a reading when you first feel the radial pulse, and a second as it fades away to normal, you will get a fair idea of the range. Once you have that, try again and listen extra-carefully between those points where you expect to hear the pulse.