Blood Pressure Lab

1. The systole is what produces the "lub" sound when listing to one's heartbeat, and are caused by the opening of the aortic and pulmonary valves, and the closing of the tricuspid and bicuspid valves. On the other hand, diastole is when the opposite happens, when the semilunar valves close and the atrioventricular valves open. Thus, systolic pressure is the pressure when the ventricles contract and diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure in the arteries before the next contraction of the ventricles.

2. Heart rate is measured by either one's hand or a stethoscope. You measure blood pressure by using a stethoscope with a sphymomanometer.

3. Using your thumb to measure pulse may mess up the counting of the other person's pulse, because it emits a pulse as well.

4. First, secure the sphymomanometer to the patient's arm. Stick the end of the stethocope underneath the band, slightly above the elbow, and make sure that the pump is securely closed before pumping the sphymomanometer until the pressure reaches about 150. Then, slowly twist the screw on the pump until air is being let out slowly, and take notice of the number at which you can hear the heartbeat, which is the systolic pressure. The second number you should include would be when you can no longer hear the heart beating is the diastolic pressure.