Question

Which is a patient-related error that may cause an error in a blood pressure reading?

1) Deflation occurs too rapidly to accurately determine the sounds.
2) Part of the stethoscope tubing touches the blood pressure cuff while reading is taken.
3) Patient's arm is covered so the reading is taken through clothing.
4) Patient's arm is too large for accurate reading with available equipment.

Answer 1

A patient-related error that can affect blood pressure readings is taking the reading through clothing. Correct placement on a bare arm is essential for accurate measurements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient-related error that may cause an error in a blood pressure reading is: 3) Patient's arm is covered so the reading is taken through clothing. This can introduce inaccuracies because the cuff may not compress the arm and artery properly, leading to an incorrect blood pressure measurement. For accurate blood pressure readings, the cuff should be placed on a bare arm with no clothing underneath. In addition, if the patient's arm is too large for the cuff, an appropriate-sized cuff should be used to avoid erroneous readings.