Blood Pressure and Pulse oximetery

Why do I need to know how to do this? SLPs in medical settings asked to document vitals Required by some insurance companies/settings for reimbursement Homehealth – may be only person there checking/monitoring Used to determine general pt health May indicate a particular treatment is not appropriate (i.e. Super- Supraglottic Swallow)

Blood Pressure pressure of circulating blood on the walls of blood vessel Systolic Pressure: blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood –expressed as the top number Diastolic Pressure: blood pressure when the heart is at rest between beats-expressed as the bottom number Korotkoff sounds are blood flow sounds that healthcare providers observe while taking blood pressure 

Normal Blood Pressure Normal blood pressure for adults is defined as a systolic pressure below 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure below 80 mmHg. May change when during sleep, waking up, or when excited or nervous. When active, it is normal for blood pressure to increase. once the activity stops, blood pressure should return to normal baseline range. Blood pressure normally rises with age and body size. Newborn babies often have very low blood pressure numbers that are considered normal for babies, while older teens have numbers similar to adults.

Hypertension (HTN) High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease

Aneroid Sphyngmomanometer Blood pressure cuff with a dial

Visual Landmarks

Procedures Wrap the cuff around the upper arm with the cuff's lower edge one inch above the antecubital fossa.  Lightly press the stethoscope's bell over the brachial artery just below the cuff's edge. Rapidly inflate the cuff to 180mmHg. Release air from the cuff at a moderate rate (3mm/sec).  Listen with the stethoscope and simultaneously observe the sphygmomanometer. The first knocking sound (Korotkoff) is the subject's systolic pressure. When the knocking sound disappears, that is the diastolic pressure (such as 120/80).  If the subject's pressure is elevated, measure blood pressure two additional times, waiting a few minutes between measurements. 

Pulse oximetry pulse oximetry is a technology used to measure the oxygen level in blood and heart rate The pulse oximeter determines the oxygen saturation by comparing how much red light and infra red light is absorbed by the blood Additionally measures heart rate (resting) Nail polish can interfere

A range of 94-99% is normal for healthy adults breathing room air which contains 21% oxygen. Anyone who is not achieving the critical blood oxygen saturation level of 90% (SpO2) may require additional oxygen Typical Normal Resting Heart Rate Adults – 60-100 beats per minute (bpm) Interpretation

Let’s Try It Partner Up Each take the other’s blood pressure Use alcohol wipes in between use and after use on stethescope Unsure? Compare to automatic cuff Pulse Oximeter will circulate