How do you get vital signs with a stethoscope and a cuff?

Answer 1

There are a few ways you can use a stethoscope (and cuff) to get vital signs, many of which are simple to obtain but provide a wealth of information. The stethoscope is used to perform auscultation, i.e. listening.

1.) Auscultating the heart-to listen for heart murmurs and extra heart sounds.

2.) Auscultating the lungs-to hear air movement through the lungs

3.)Auscultating blood vessels-to hear for any turbulent flow caused by blockage e.g.atherosclerosis.

4.)Taking a blood pressure.

This is performed by placing the cuff around the arm and inflating it until the radial (wrist) pulse cannot be felt anymore. The value on the manometer is noted, this is a rough estimate of the top (systolic blood pressure). The stethoscope diaphragm (flat part) is placed on the brachial artery just over the elbow joint and inflated until 20mmHg over the original recording.

The cuff is slowly deflated until the first sounds are heard, they will resemble a pulse (a booming noise). NB This is not a pulse, but known as the Korotkoff sounds. The cuff is continuily deflated until the sounds cannot be heard anymore, this is the low (diastolic pressure).

The sounds represent turbulent blood flow through the brachial artery. When the cuff is inflated, the artery is forced shut. When you start to deflate it, blood starts to re enter the artery but is bounced around the very narrow artery, causing the sounds you hear.

When the sounds disappear, that is when the artery has resumed its normal diameter and the blood flow is now laminar (smooth) again.