THE CORRECT MEASURING POSITION
Perform the measurement while seated. Pay attention to the following:
Make sure you are in a comfortable sitting position,
Do not cross your legs,
Place your feet flat on the floor,
Support your back and arm,
Place the centre of the cuff at the height of the right atrium.
Relax your arm and place it on a table, for example. Remain calm and
relaxed during the measurement. Do not move or speak, as this may
change the measurement results.
The following must be noted when taking the blood pressure:
Seated measurement after 3-5 minutes of rest prior to the measurement
At least two blood pressure measurements at an interval of 1 to 2
minutes in a seated position and additional confirmation measure
ments, if the first two measurements differ significantly. The averaging
of the blood pressure values may be considered.
Repeat the measurements in order to improve the accuracy for patients
with arrhythmias, e.g. atrial fibrillation.
The cuff must be positioned at heart height.
For auscultatoric methods, pay attention to the disappearance of the
Korotkoff sounds to identify the systolic and diastolic blood pressure
(phase I and V).
The blood pressure should be measured on both arms as part of an
initial examination. The higher blood pressure value is the reference
value.
In order to detect orthostatic hypotension for older patients, diabetics
or other common illnesses, the first measurement should take place
while standing, after 1 and 3 minutes.
For conventional blood pressure measurements, the heart rate should
be detected by feeling for the pulse (at least 30 seconds) in a seated
position after the second measurement.
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