Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement

Braden Durham

SER 311 Testing and Exercise Prescription Lab

Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurements

Dr. Larouere
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement

Background:

Blood pressure and heart rate are two measurements taken to measure someone’s

cardiovascular health. A person’s blood pressure is taken to assess how much blood is being

pumped out to the body from the heart. There are two numbers that are involved when taking

blood pressure. One is the top number which is called systolic and the bottom number which is

referred to as the diastolic. In order to get these numbers, a blood pressure cuff will be velcroed

about one inch above the elbow and then slowly filled with air. As the air is being released from

the cuff, the person listens closely for the first sound, which is the first number written down, and

then listens for the last sound, the bottom number recorded. Heart rate is assessed by finding a

pulse on the thumb side of a person’s wrist. Once found, the person can count how many beats

they feel in a 30 second span and then multiply it by 2 to find how many times their heart beats

in a minute. To get a more accurate number, the person could count how many beats they feel

through a total minute to get the exact number of times their heart beats. Taking these

measurements at rest allows for the tester to get an idea of how healthy a person’s heart is

throughout the day. Knowing how the heart is working at rest will give the tester an idea of how

efficiently the heart is working on a day to day basis. These measurements are taken during

exercise as well because it gives the tester an idea of what kind of intensity can handle. If a

person is performing moderate intensity exercise and is maintaining a lower heart rate, then they

can handle being pushed a little further. If the person’s heart rate is higher, then maybe the tester

should scale back the intensity because the person will not be able to maintain that level of

intensity as long. Blood pressure should be taken multiple times for a multitude of reasons as it

can change from day to day based on different factors. A person can get their blood pressure

taken and be considered to have high blood pressure. However, they can get it taken a few days
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement

later and it may be much lower. This happens often as the person’s diet, such as caffeine, or

different kinds of stress may be the cause for the varying blood pressures. A person can only be

considered to have high blood pressure if they have multiple readings come back above the

threshold. Only then can they be truly diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Data:

There were a few mistakes that I saw when others were taking my measurements. One of

the most common mistakes was deflating the blood pressure cuff too quickly. This would lead to

either an inaccurate reading as they could not really tell which number was associated with the

first sound or it would release so quickly that they would have to start over. Another mistake that

I saw was not securing the valve correctly. There were instances when it was not secured at all

and the cuff would not inflate. There were also instances when the valve was secured so tightly

that once it was opened it released a lot of air all at once. There was one issue that did not happen

often but it did happen a few times and that was massaging the area searching for the pulse rather

than palpating the area. I believe that my results were accurate as if there was an issue (deflating

too quickly, valve not being closed, etc.) the tester would perform the test again to make sure that

it was done right. My measurements overall were pretty similar. I had an idea what my resting

heart rate and blood pressure were from previous doctor appointments and the results I received

were pretty close to that. I do not believe that the errors would skew my results as the proper

steps were taken after the mess up such as letting my arm rest for a few minutes before trying

again.

Blood pressure and heart rate are bound to rise as a person performs any kind of exercise.

The body requires more oxygen when it is exercising as the muscles require more oxygen to

maintain the intensity that they are performing. A person’s breathing will begin to increase as the
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement

body requires more oxygen which will cause the heart to work harder as it pumps more blood

and oxygen through the body to the necessary areas. Blood pressure will increase due to more

pressure being put on the arterial walls as the heart begins to pump more blood faster throughout

the body. Typically, the systolic is the only number that is subject to change as the diastolic is

more than likely going to remain constant. An error that may have occurred when I was taking

exercise results is not being able to hear the first or last sounds with the sounds of the bike in the

background. There were a few instances where the initial resting numbers taken did not align

with the expected exercise results. This may be because I was not able to hear the first or last

sounds especially if the sound was quieter. There were times where the initial and final sounds

were quieter but the sounds in between were very easy to hear. Another potential error was using

different kinds of equipment. On the exercise bike, I typically used the blood pressure cuff on the

rolling stand that was at the front of the room. These ones worked much differently than the

smaller ones found in the back cabinet in my opinion which may have caused my numbers to be

a little off.

Learning:

The most useful comments and learning moments for me during this lab was when

someone told me that I did everything right but gave some small advice that would make the

tests go smoother. The hardest part of the experiment was explaining what I was doing to the

person as I was performing the test. Sometimes I would get too focused on the task that I would

forget to mention what I am doing to the client. The only other comment I had early was when I

had issues with the valve as it was either open or put on too tightly. Other than that, my

comments were most positive as a whole. As a whole, I felt that my peer evaluations were fair

towards me and I would have evaluated myself similarly. There were times where I struggled to
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement

find the brachial artery which could get frustrating at times but other than that I thought my tests

went well. There could be some improvement in how I describe the different steps of the tests

but that was an issue I had early on and was able to improve on it. The peer evaluations were

useful because it held me accountable. I knew that there were specific steps that I needed to

perform and I needed to perform each step correctly. The positive comments were helpful

because it confirmed that I was doing certain things well. It was good to have others give advice

even if I did the tests correctly. It can help learn how to make the tests more efficient. My most

valuable lesson from this lab was learning how to explain myself in a professional manner. It is

really easy to just perform the test and keep your thoughts and comments to yourself. But it is

harder to get out of your comfort zone and explain yourself to the person as you are doing it.

This is important because at the end of the day you must realize that your explanation will keep

the client calmer and more comfortable.

Appendices:
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Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurement