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Physical examination maneuver
Physical Exam
Blood Pressure
🎬
Video coming September 2026
How to Perform
Have the patient sit quietly for about 5 minutes with the back supported, legs uncrossed, and feet flat; bare the upper arm and support it at heart level. Choose an appropriately-sized blood pressure cuff and wrap it around the upper arm with the artery marker centered over the brachial artery. Place the stethoscope in your ears, palpate the brachial or radial pulse while inflating the cuff, and inflate to about 30 mmHg above the point where the pulse disappears. Place the stethoscope over the brachial artery and deflate slowly (about 2–3 mmHg per second). Record the pressure at which the repetitive tapping sounds (Korotkoff sounds) first become audible as the systolic pressure and the pressure at which the sounds disappear as the diastolic pressure.
Systolic blood pressure ≥160 mm Hg in a patient with impaired consciousness
Rule in
Very helpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
Subclavian Artery Stenosis
Persistent inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference ≥10 mm Hg measured
Rule in
HelpfulDerived CI
Rule out
Somewhat helpfulDerived CI
Evidence:Limited
References
Research in progress on one or more findings above; ratings may change.
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