Measuring Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Senior Health - Bauberger

Resting Heart Rate: The heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute at rest. Resting heart rate usually decreases with age, and it's generally lower in physically fit people. –The best time to measure is when you first wake up and are still in bed –Where to measure: Carotid artery (side of neck) Brachial artery (inside of elbow)

Maximum Heart Rate “HR max ”: the highest number of times the heart can contract in one minute, or the heart rate that a person could achieve during maximal physical exertion. –Estimating formula: HR max = 220 − age

Target Heart Rate Target Heart Rate: –A optimal range of heart rate reached during exercise, providing the most benefit to the heart and lungs. –Karvonen method: Used for finding target heart rate between 50-85% intensity THR = ((HR max − HR rest )× %Intensity) + HR rest

How blood pressure is taken: The cuff of the sphygmomanometer is placed on the upper arm. It is centered over the brachial artery which is located in the crook of the elbow. Once the cuff is secured, the arm is raised to heart level. Feel for the brachial pulse and place the diaphragm of the stethoscope over this spot. The stethoscope is then used to listen for the brachial pulse. Close the valve on the bladder of the cuff and begin to squeeze the bulb. Continue squeezing until the needle on the gauge reads at least 180 or until it is 10mmHg above where you last heard the pulse as you inflated the cuff. It is usually pumped up to mmHg on the gauge because it is very difficult to hear the pulse. Open the valve slowly and allow the cuff to deflate by 5mmHg/second while you listen to the artery. When you first hear the Karotkoff sound this is the systolic pressure. Continue deflating the cuff until you no longer hear the Karotkoff sound. This is the diastolic pressure. At this point you can open the valve completely to allow the cuff to deflate rapidly.

Measuring Blood Pressure How-To-Measure-Blood-Pressurehttp:// How-To-Measure-Blood-Pressure

References icle.cfm/vital_signs__blood_pressurehttp://healthfieldmedicare.suite101.com/art icle.cfm/vital_signs__blood_pressure