Sphygmomanometer

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In spite of being incredibly hard to say, a sphygmomanometer is a key instrument for measuring a patient’s blood pressure. The name comes from the Greek word for pulse, ‘sphygmos’ and is combined with the scientific term manometer (pressure meter).

It consists of an inflatable cuff, a measuring unit and a mechanism for inflation which is either manually operated or a pump which is operated electrically.

How does it work?

The cuff is applied to the arm and connected to a column of mercury next to a scale. This enables a reading of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by increasing and gradually releasing the pressure in the cuff.

Checking blood pressure is a diagnostic aid to detect various diseases and abnormalities. It allows you to monitor the effectiveness of medication and other methods of controlling hypertension (high blood pressure). And this can be supported with other equipment, such as a pulse oximeters which measure the levels of oxygenation in the blood stream.

A sphygmomanometer, depending on the model size, can be used in various places including your home, hospital, ambulance and dental office.

What affects your blood pressure reading?

The flow, resistance, quality, and quantity of blood circulating through the heart and the condition of the person’s arteries are all factors which can determine the outcome of a blood pressure reading. If the artery walls of the patient are restricted, then the reading will be higher.

For best results take blood pressure readings after a person has been resting for 5 minutes or so. This is so that any exertion prior to the reading is not registered and does not affect the outcome.

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If you have any questions regarding our sphygmomanometers, including how to say it, call the defibshop team on 0800 470 4847 and we’ll happily answer any queries you have.

Alternatively fill out a contact form and one of the team will get back to you as soon as possible