Question

A nurse is preparing to obtain a lower extremity BP from a client and no longer palpates the popliteal pulse after 92 mmHg. Which of the following images displays the measurement in mmHg to which the nurse should inflate the cuff when obtaining the BP?

122 mmHg
142 mmHg
162 mmHg
192 mmHg

Answer 1

The cuff should be inflated to 122 mmHg, which is 30 mmHg above the pressure at which the nurse no longer palpates the popliteal pulse.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse no longer palpates the popliteal pulse at 92 mmHg, the cuff should be inflated to a higher pressure before slowly deflating it to obtain an accurate blood pressure measurement. The standard practice is to inflate the cuff to a value that is 20 to 30 mmHg above the point where the pulse is no longer palpable. Since the nurse no longer palpates the popliteal pulse at 92 mmHg, the appropriate measurement to inflate the cuff would be either 112 mmHg or 122 mmHg. However, since 112 mmHg is not one of the provided options, the correct answer is 122 mmHg.