How to Take Temperature, Pulse, Respiration, and Blood Pressure 533
How to take blood pressure
There are several types of blood pressure equipment.
Some have a tall gauge that looks like a thermometer.
Others have a round dial.
gauge
Blood pressure
equipment usually
comes with a
stethoscope.
blood
pressure
cuff
To take a person’s blood pressure, first tell her what you are going to do.Then
follow these steps:
1. Fasten
the cuff
around
the bare
upper
arm.
2. Close the valve on the rubber bulb by turning the
screw to the right. The valve will get shorter.
3. Feel for a pulse just below the elbow, on
the inside of the arm, and put the
stethoscope over the pulse.
Sometimes you may not feel
the pulse. If you
cannot, put the
stethoscope
over the center
of the skin crease inside the elbow.
5. As you pump, the
needle will move.
When it
reaches
200, stop
pumping.
6. Then
release
the valve
a little so
that the
air leaks
out slowly.
4. Pump the cuff
up by squeezing
the bulb.
7. The needle
will begin
to go back
down. (If
the valve is
closed, it will
stay at 200.)
As the air leaks out, you will start
to hear the person’s pulse through
your stethoscope. Notice where
the needle or the silver bar is when
you start to hear the pulse (this will
be the top number) and when the
pulse disappears or gets very soft
(this will be the bottom number).
If you... do not hear anything
when the needle is here...
...or here
but start to hear
a pulse about here
and then lose it
again when the
needle is about here
then the blood pressure is: 100/70.
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