Proper blood pressure measurement
| Patients should sit, relaxed, for at least 5 minutes, with an empty bladder, without talking; they should not have consumed caffeine, smoked, or exercised in the last 30 minutes. |
| Use a device that has been properly calibrated, and a proper-sized cuff: the bladder should wrap around 80% of the patient’s arm; a small cuff will result in higher blood pressure readings. |
| Take measurements in both arms, on bare skin, with the patient’s arm supported; use the arm with the higher reading for subsequent readings, and repeat measurements 1 to 2 minutes apart. |
| Use the average of at least 2 readings obtained on at least 2 occasions to estimate blood pressure. |
Based on information in reference 1.