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The correct
measurement of blood pressure requires the use of a
correct cuff (length) size, otherwise the B.P. is not reliable. B.P.
cuffs require:
-
That the cuff
bladder encircle two-thirds [2/3] or more of the patient's
arm;
-
Extend about
one-third of the length of the arm;
-
The center of
the cuff should be positioned over the brachial
artery.
An adult standard
cuff bladder measures 12 by 22 cm. Large adult or thigh cuffs
should be used for larger arms. With the current epidemic of
obesity and the difficulty of fitting cuffs on large but short
arms, I hope some other reliable method of measurement surfaces
soon.
Much care should
be given to cuffs that are so small as to be considered
"Children" size but are used in adults - the B.P.
will definitely be wrong and patients can be erroneously
diagnosed as hypertensives and treated for life with
medication.
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