Question on BPs

[ccmedoc]

At least that's what I was taught . . . and just today we were talking about BPs with some coworkers and they had never heard of this. Have you guys? Was my BP skills instructor just nuts? (very likely...I'd just like to know)

Your instructor may indeed still be nuts...But this is a common procedure for B/P auscultation....Most Nursing programs that I am aware of teach this way..the gaps are real and this does get a more accurate reading than simply pumping to the same number each time, or auscultating while inflating and stopping at the first sound...

I believe the way you were taught to be very effective in increasing accuracy of blood pressure readings...

-Another opinion...

edit:

On the B/P on the same arm as an IV..the only damage I can foresee is stopping the infusion while it is being taken or possibly damaging the catheter if the cuff is too close to it..thats it..

What damage are the nay-sayers citing....I would be interested... 8)

[JPINFV]

NiBP uses presets, so if it doesn't have a gap between ending the fill stage and starting to let air out, then it will go to the higher preset.

For blood pressures, generally I'll go up to 100, take a quick listen (gets the steth in the right position and most patients will have beats at 100 mmHg), then go up to 130-140 and start going for a measurement.