OBJECTIVES:

1. Define blood pressure and describe normal range

of blood pressure
2. Measure blood pressure correctly using the aneroid
sphygmomanometer
3. Value the importance of monitoring the blood
pressure
BLOOD PRESSURE
MEASUREMENT
 What is blood pressure?
 The pressure that your blood
exerts against your arteries as it
is pumped through your body by
the heart.

 The pressure in the arteries

increases when the heart beats
and decreases while it is resting.
 To take good care of our heart, it is important to
be aware OR MONITOR of our blood pressures
because the higher your blood pressure is, the
higher your risk of health problems in the future.
If your blood pressure is high, it is putting extra
strain on your arteries and on your heart.
 Normal Blood Pressure Reading
 Blood pressure is measured in mmHg (millimeters per mercury)
and given as a fraction

120 Systolic Pressure

When the heart is contracting

80
Diastolic Pressure
The period when the heart is in relaxation and
dilation
 Variations in Blood Pressure
 Abnormally high blood pressure is called hypertension
140
• Any blood pressure reading greater than
90
is considered high.
• Hypertension is usually asymptomatic (the silent killer).
 Abnormally low blood pressure is called hypotension
• Symptoms define whether blood pressure is too low:
 Dizziness
 Blurred vision
 Nausea
 Fatigue
 Hypertension
 Factors affect a person's blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Stress
• High-sodium diets
• Smoking and Drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages
• Age
• Genetic factors
 There are usually no symptoms of high blood
pressure, but the consequences of
untreated hypertension can be severe:
• Heart disease
• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
• General heart/artery damage
 Measuring Blood Pressure
The Sphygmomanometer
 The Sphygmomanometer is also
called a Blood Pressure Cuff
Pump
Inflates the cuff to
Dial
stop blood flow
Used to read
blood pressure
Valve
Cuff Lets air out of the cuff,
Used to temporarily allowing it to deflate
stop blood flow
 Measuring Blood Pressure
The Stethoscope

 A stethoscope allows you to hear your

heart beat and your blood flow
 When used with a sphygmomanometer,
you can hear the blood flow through
your brachial artery, allowing you
to measure your blood pressure
 Measuring Blood Pressure
Procedure
1. Instruct the patient to sit comfortably with arm supported at heart level.
2. Snugly wrap the sphygmomanometer cuff around the upper arm, one inch above the elbow.
3. Place the stethoscope just above the crease of the elbow or placed over the brachial
artery.
4. Make sure the valve (the screw knob attached to the pump of the blood pressure cuff)
is completely closed, Pump the cuff several times until the dial on the cuff reads 180mmHg.
5. While listening with the stethoscope, slowly open the valve so that some air escapes at a slow
but steady rate. You should not hear any pulse in the stethoscope yet, and you should note that
the needle on the dial is slowly going down.
a) When you first hear the beat of the blood flow, that is the systolic pressure
b) When you last hear the beat of the blood flow, that is the diastolic pressure
6. Record both numbers below. Release any residual air from the cuff, and remove the cuff and the
stethoscope from the patient.
1. Why is it important to monitor your blood
pressure?
2. What factors might affect a person’s blood
pressure
3.Differentiate systolic and diastolic?
4.What did you learned from the activity?
DIRECTIONS: In a ½ crosswise sheet of paper.
Answer the questions comprehensively.

1.What is Blood pressure?

2.Why is it important to monitor your blood
pressure?
DIRECTIONS: In a ½ crosswise sheet of
paper. Give at least 5 ways on how to clean
and store the Blood Pressure Apparatus.