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Question about the stethoscope blood pressure device....


Matthew99

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Auscultation is all audio. Following the bouncing needle will put you off into the ditch.

I absolutely get where you're coming from though. Intuitively it seems that the bounce of the needle should have some correspondence to the reading of the systolic b/p, and it probably does, just not in any way that is useful to you.

Good question.

Dwayne

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Dwayne is right. Do NOT rely on the bouncing needle- it is NOT accurate. If you want to prove that for yourself, do a little comparison. Auscultate a BP, palpate a BP, and then obtain one by watching the needle bounce on the gauge. Do this for multiple people, and compare the results.

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To check for accuracy of a unit we purchased and installed in the ambulance, we do similar comparisons. It's a unit that can do several things, not specifically made for EMS, cost as much as a nice used car, and stays put. However, we choose to only employ certain features. Also helps to weed out who can take an accurate BP, b/c it is possible to fake it for years - apparently - and be 'almost right' enough to get by. I did one of our 'self accuracy tests' after I read this earlier. Palp: 106/P; Scope: 110/62; Machine: 108/60.

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