Procedure for Measuring Blood Pressure



Name: ____________________________ Date: _________ Period:_______ Blood Under Pressure4514850228600Blood pressure is a key indicator of how well the cardiovascular system is functioning and can signal many diseases and conditions. It measures the pressure of blood flow to the circulatory system. It is necessary for all the organs in the body to receive adequate nutrition and oxygen to function. Blood travels through the body through blood vessels, arteries and capillaries. If you lined up all the blood vessels in your body, they’d be 60 thousand miles long. And every day, they carry the equivalent of 4.7-5.5 liters of blood (1.2 to 1.5 gallons) throughout your body. So that your body can receive the oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. The movement of blood throughout the body is pushed with such force that it causes a pressure on the walls of the blood vessels. 46386751114425Blood vessels carry blood away from the heart. Blood vessels carry blood away from the heart. 538162522860019051228600When we measure blood pressure, we are actually measuring the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure separately.This is why blood pressure reported as two numbers, one "over" the other. For example:In a blood pressure reading of 120/80,120 = systolic pressure80 = diastolic pressure5457825942975-38099266700Systolic Pressure-Widening of the blood vesselsSystolic Pressure-Widening of the blood vessels5381625114300Diastolic Pressure-Contracting of the blood vesselsDiastolic Pressure-Contracting of the blood vessels55384701257935Sphygmomanometerand stethoscope0Sphygmomanometerand stethoscopeWe measure blood pressure (the pressure of the blood in the circulatory system, often measured for and closely related to the force and rate of the heartbeat and the diameter and elasticity of the arterial walls) by using an instrument called a sphygmomanometer (pronounced sfig-mo-muh-NAM-eh-ter). This device consists of an inflatable cuff that is wrapped around the upper arm and a gauge that measures pressure using a pressure gauge. A stethoscope is used to listen to the tapping sounds that occur. -38099285750Note: Heart rate and blood pressure are not the same, and they can indicate different issues. The American Heart Association reports that blood pressure measures the force that blood moves through blood vessels, and heart rate measures the amount of times your heart beats per minute. Having a healthy heart rate does not necessarily mean your blood pressure is in a healthy range. Both measurements are important, but one does not replace the other.Vocabulary WordsDiastolic pressureSystolic pressurePressure gauge Blood pressure Blood vesselsHeart Stethoscope Blood pressure cuff Dilate Constrict sphygmomanometerProcedure for Measuring Blood Pressure begin by inflating the cuff. Once the pressure in the cuff is above the subject's systolic pressure (140 in this example), blood cannot flow below the cuff. You will hear no sound in the brachial artery when you listen with the stethoscope.As you release the pressure valve and slowly deflate the cuff (lower/flatten from using air), blood begins to flow through the artery.When the pressure in the cuff is between the systolic and diastolic pressure, you can hear a tapping sound with each pulse. The first tapping sound you hear indicates that blood has entered the artery. Record this reading as the systolic pressure. Continue to deflate the cuff until the tapping sounds cease.The last tapping sound you hear indicates the diastolic pressure.Record the 2 numbers (the first number and the last number)2400300409575Diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) — indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats. ................
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