“Blood Presure Measurement & Cvs Response”
DISCUSSION
Discussion 1.1 – Blood pressure measurement
Blood pressure usually refers to the pressure in arteries generated by the left ventricle during systole and the pressure remaining in the arteries when the ventricle is in diastole. It is measured in the brachial artery of the left arm. The device used to measure the blood pressure is known as sphygmomanometer. There are several ways to measure blood pressure. One of the methods is by using the palpatory method. However, only systolic blood pressure (SBP) can be measured and not diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
In this experiment, we were required to determine the systolic blood pressure (SBP) using palpatory method. The palpation of radial artery is done using the fingertips of index finger and middle finger of the left hand. The cuff of sphygmomanometer is wrapped around the subject’s arm and pumped until no further pulse is felt. Air is then taken out slowly and the first pulse felt indicates the SBP. This happens because when the cuff is deflated enough to allow the artery to open, a spurt of blood passes through, resulting in the first pulse felt. The normal blood pressure of an adult male is less than 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic. However, subject’s SBP is 120 mmHg but it can still be considered as normal. The slight increase may be due to errors while conducting the experiment.
The source of error maybe the subject’s muscle is not completely relaxed as his hand position is not at the same level. He had to lift his hand a bit, and this causes tension to the muscle and may interfere with the reading.
While conducting the experiment, we faced a few problems but managed to overcome them. The major problem faced by most of us is the difficulty in sensing the pulse with our middle finger. It took a while for us to master the palpatory method, but with lots of practice, we finally manage to do so.
Several precautions are applied during...
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