University of the East

College of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Science Major in Psychology

BLOOD PRESSURE

General Physiology (Laboratory)

BS Psychology 3B
Prof. Steve P. Obanan
Date Started: September 20, 2019
Date Finished: September 27, 2019

GROUP 4
Bensi, Joseph Moen (Introduction)
Clavano, Lhara Maye (Abstract)
Nicolas, Weeko (Results)
Pagkalinawan, Paulo (Discussion)
Rocabo, Jean Claude (General Edit)
Soud, Nor-Ali (Methodology)
ABSTRACT

Blood pressure is a hydrostatic pressure exerted on the blood vessels. There are (2)
different methods of measuring blood pressure. The first one is the palpatory method, one of the
most used to get the blood pressure and though this it only measures systolic blood pressure
using this method. The measurement of the diastolic method is not commonly used. Hence, the
experiment aims to assess the palpatory method as an accurate method for measuring diastolic
blood pressure as compared to the auscultatory method of measurement of blood pressure.
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured first by the palpatory method with the use of
stethoscope and sphygmomanometer. After the palpatory method, we measured auscultatory
using a stethoscope and placing the cuff around the arm of the student also, with the use of first
and second fingers, the radial pulse was located and placed the stethoscope in the brachial artery
to listen to the pulse. After the exercise, it has been shown that there is an increase in the blood
pressure of the students, and it has happened that the Auscultatory is more accurate than the
Palpatory Method.
INTRODUCTION

Blood pressure is a sum of the energy that your heart uses to pump blood around your
body, according to Gottschling (2016). In addition to this, other book states that pressure in the
circulatory system, often measured for diagnosis as it is strongly linked to the heartbeat force and
frequency and the diameter and elasticity of the arterial wall. With that, blood pressure is
constantly changing from time to time as the heart cycles amongst the systole and diastole. It also
changes depending upon your condition of action, your condition of pressure, your condition of
hydration, and a few different elements.
According to P. Salvi (2007), the pressure exerted in your blood flow through your arteries
isn't constant, however, it is changing, continually base on what your heart is doing at a specific
time. When your heart beats, it squeezes and pushes blood through your arteries to the rest of
your body. This force is called the systole that generates pressure on those blood vessels, and
that's your systolic blood pressure. The maximum blood pressure achieved during the active
contraction of the heart is called the systolic blood pressure wherein, the standard systolic blood
pressure is 120 mmHg.
Meanwhile, according to Gwee (1980), diastolic blood pressure is the blood pressure
between heartbeats within the arteries, that is when the heart does not actively eject blood into
the arteries. After the heart contracts, the heart ventricles relax momentarily in preparation for the
next contraction so that they can be replenished with blood. This ventricular relaxation period is
called "diastole" and diastole blood pressure is called diastolic blood pressure. The normal blood
pressure of healthy people is 120/80.
According to Klabunde (2016), changes in Cardiac output and Systemic Vascular
Resistance is being controlled by the Mean arterial pressure. Where cardiac output is being
determined through the means of stroke volume and Heart Rate, the stroke volume is being
determined by the inotrope and the ventricular preload that causing to altered in the venous
compliance and blood volume and Heart Rate
A decrease in venous compliance, as occurs when the veins constrict, increases ventricular
preload by increasing central venous pressure.
All outward blood volume is managed by renal function, specifically the renal treatment of
sodium and water. Blood volume moves inside the body as happens when changing body pose,
likewise change focal venous weight and preload. Pulse, inotrope, venous consistency, and renal
capacity are for the most part firmly affected by neurohumoral systems.
Systemic vascular resistance is determined by the anatomy of the vascular network. Changes
can happen in the general number of parallel and arrangement opposition components.
The main objective of this is to enable the students to understand how to get blood
pressure using palpatory and auscultatory methods. Thus, it will help the students to be educated
and know how to distinguish the sounds generated from the use of stethoscope. Moreover, this
will also show the various factors affecting the blood pressure in different individual.

METHODOLOGY

The laboratory experiment was done using (2) different procedures, the palpatory and
auscultatory method, wherein materials such as a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer were
provided and utilized.
The first procedure was the Palpatory Method wherein the cuff was placed over the bare
upper arm with the artery mark positioned directly over the brachial artery, and by the use of first
and second fingers placed in the radial pulse, the oscillation was located. The rubber bulb was
slowly squeezed until the radial pulse is obliterated, then gradually release the pressure through
the needle bulb, the moment that the pulse reappears is the systolic pressure. Soon after, the
swaying of the indicator will reach its maximum, which is the diastolic pressure.
Second, was the Auscultatory Method where the cuff was placed around the arm of the
subject just above the elbow. With the use of the first and second fingers, the radial pulse was
located and the receiving end of the stethoscope was placed over the brachial artery to listen to
the pulse. Same with the procedure in the first method, the cuff was inflated moderately until the
mercury of the dial reached 180 mmHg, then the pressure was slowly released through the needle
bulb. Wait for the sound to reappear using the stethoscope, this was the systolic pressure.
Continuously released the pressure until the last clear sound was heard, that was the diastolic
pressure.
After gathering data while the subjects were at rest, they were instructed to hop for 100
times and after, both procedures were repeated and data was recorded.
RESULTS

Systolic Pressure
125

120

115

110

105

100

95

90
Resting Position After Hoping (100x) Lying Down
Lhara Weeko Ali Paulo Jace Bensi

Diastolic Pressure
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Resting Position After Hoping (100x) Lying Down

Lhara Weeko Ali Paulo Jace Bensi

PALPATORY METHOD

Resting Position After Hoping Lying Down Average:

(100x)
Lhara 100/80 115/60 100/70 105/70
Weeko 100/80 100/70 100/60 100/70
Ali 115/60 120/80 100/60 112/67
Paulo 115/60 115/70 120/70 117/67
Jace 100/60 120/70 115/70 112/67
Bensi 115/80 115/70 100/60 110/70
Figure 1. Line Graph of Systolic & Diastolic Pressure and Table of Recorded Results
Using Palpatory Method While Resting, After Hoping 100x, and Lying Down.
Palpatory Method:
As seen in the line graph for systolic pressure on figure 1, during resting position, three
out of the six members of the group has a systolic pressure of 100mmHg and the other three has
115mmHg which are all considered to be normal systolic pressures. For their diastolic pressure
while resting, some of the members have normal diastolic pressure (80mmHg) and three of them
have low diastolic pressure (60mmHg). After hoping for 100 times, half the members of the group
had an increase on their systolic pressure (Lhara, Ali, Jace) & diastolic pressure (Lhara, Ali, Jace,
Paulo) and the other half either increased or remained the same. After getting the blood pressure
after hoping, we measured the members’ blood pressure while lying down; we observed that four
of the systolic pressures went down (Lhara, Ali, Jace, Bensi), one remained the same (Weeko),
and the other one increased (Paulo). It is seen on figure 1 that only Weeko’s systolic pressure
remained the same (100mmHg) and her diastolic pressure decreased (80mmHg, 70 mmHg,
60mmHg) throughout the experiment.
Using the palpatory method in measuring our blood pressures, we noticed that only the
systolic pressure was easily noticeable, and the diastolic pressure was barely noticeable. Also,
the blood pressures immediately went down for most of the group members when they were lying
down. We had a hard time using the palpatory method because not everyone in the group have
noticeable radial pulse.

Auscultatory Method:
In figure 2 (found on the next page), while resting, five members of the group have normal
systolic pressures ranging between 100-120mmHg (Weeko, Ali, Paulo, Jace, Bensi) and one
member have low systolic pressure which was 90mmHg (Lhara). For the diastolic pressure, three
members have normal diastolic pressures of 80mmHg (Weeko, Paulo, Jace), one member have
high diastolic pressure which was 90mmHg (Ali), and two members have low diastolic pressure
of 60mmHg (Lhara and Bensi). After hoping 100 times, most of the group’s systolic pressures
went up, and one member’s systolic pressure remained the same (Ali). As expected, most of the
diastolic pressures went up; four members have high diastolic pressures (90mmHg), and two
members have normal diastolic pressure (80mmHg). Lying down, most of the group’s systolic
pressures remained the same, and only two systolic pressures decreased (Ali and Jace). The
diastolic pressures remained the same for most of the members (Weeko, Ali, Jace, Bensi), while
only two out of six members (Lhara and Paulo) had a decrease on their diastolic pressure while
lying down.
Compared to the first method, we find the auscultatory method easier and more accurate
because of the stethoscope. We were also able to locate the radial pulse faster compared to the
palpatory method.
 Systolic Pressure
140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
Resting Position After Hoping (100x) Lying Down

Lhara Weeko Ali Paulo Jace Bensi

Diastolic Pressure
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Resting Position After Hoping (100x) Lying Down

Lhara Weeko Ali Paulo Jace Bensi

AUSCULTATORY METHOD

Resting Position After Hoping Lying Down Average:

(100x)
Lhara 90/60 100/80 100/60 97/67
Weeko 110/80 120/90 120/90 117/87
Ali 120/90 120/80 110/80 117/83
Paulo 115/80 120/90 120/70 118/80
Jace 100/80 130/90 120/90 117/87
Bensi 115/60 120/90 120/90 118/80
Figure 2. Line Graph of Systolic & Diastolic Pressure and Table of Recorded Results
Using Auscultatory Method While Resting, After Hoping 100x, and Lying Down.
DISCUSSION

In the result of this experiment, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood
pressure were measured by Palpatory and Auscultatory method. The first method that
was used was the Palpatory method before Auscultatory method to measure first the
blood pressure through using the first and second fingers in feeling the radial pulse of
another person before using a stethoscope for listening to the Korotkoff (blood flow)
sound in the brachial artery. According to Whelton (2002), exercise increases systolic
blood pressure, while diastolic blood pressure should not change significantly during
exercise. This explains how majority of the members had their systolic blood pressure
increased due to the heart starts to pump harder and faster to circulate blood to deliver
oxygen to the muscles after hopping 100 times, as a result to the increase of systolic
blood pressure, which should return to its normal measure within several hours.
According to Shiel (2018), when it comes measuring the blood pressure of a person
depending on their position, lying down does not really affect the person’s blood pressure
measure as long as the arm is kept along the side at the level of the body. Which in the
case of the experiment, 3 out of 6 members nearly kept the consistency of the measure
of their blood pressure, while the other 3 member’s blood pressure gradually decreases.
Which conclude that basing the situation to Shiel’s statement, the BP of the three
members, whose blood pressure did not stay consistent, may be either slightly falsely
measured due to the wrong positioning of the arm, or have an imbalance autonomic
nervous system (ANS) (Shiel, 2018). In Auscultatory method, unlike the Palpatory
method, used a stethoscope to listen to the Korotkoff sounds in the bracihial artery.
According to Cohn (1967), Auscultatory method is also known as Riva Rocci Korotkoff
measurement. Though it does not have the same procedures from Palpatory method, it
had the same outcome as the Systolic blood pressure increases after hopping 100 times
due to harder and faster pump of the heart. But when measuring the blood pressure while
lying down, basing the result in Whelton’s statement, Auscultatory method is much more
accurate than Palpatory method. As the result of the blood pressure almost stay constant
when lying down (100/80 to 100/60, 120/90 to 120/90, 120/80 to 110/80, 120/90 to 120/
70, 130/90 to 120/90, 120/90 to 120/90). In the first situation (resting), it is expected that
members have their normal blood pressure. Second situation (after hopping), it is
expected that the members systolic blood pressure would only be the one to change,
specifically to increase, while diastolic should not change at all. (Shiel, 2018). And the
third situation (lying down), since every member have a time to take a rest while getting
their blood pressure, the systolic blood pressure should slightly beginning to go back to
its nor mal measure even the slightest measure counts, since the systolic should only be
the one to change after doing the 100 hops.

CONCLUSION

Palpatory method, which is measuring the blood pressure through using the first
and second fingers in feeling the radial pulse of another person, is less accurate than
Auscultatory method, which used a stethoscope to listen to the Korotkoff sounds in the
brachial artery, basing on the outcome of the activity, in accordance to Shiel and the result
of the data. In resting position, some members have different measures of blood pressure
due to biological and physiological differences. After hopping causes the majority of the
systolic blood pressure of the members to increase, while diastolic of some members are
slightly increasing, and some are slightly decreasing in both Palpatory and Auscultatory
method (see figure 1 and 2 in results). Majority of the members have their systolic blood
pressure decrease when lying down in Palpatory method, while their majority of the
members have their diastolic blood pressure also decreases. All of the members have
their systolic blood pressure in Auscultatory either stays consistent, or decreases. While
their diastolic blood pressure also either stays consistent, or decreases.

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