On which hand should the pressure be measured?
Today many of our fellow citizens have a tonometer at home. Since not all of us have a medical education, the question of which hand to measure pressure is quite obvious.
For the first time the difference in the measurement of pressure at differenthands (right, left) was discovered about half a century ago. In the course of those studies, it was found that higher values when measuring pressure are recorded on the right hand. At first there was the assumption that it depends on the particular person and his main working hand (right-handed or left-handed), but this assumption was not confirmed. Although the difference in the readings when measuring pressure on the right and left hands is minimal, it is still correct to measure pressure on the left hand.
Basic rules for measuring pressure
- Before starting the procedure, the patient should not drink coffee, smoke or take medication
- Before measuring the pressure, the patient should take a comfortable pose (in a sitting position) and sit for at least three minutes
- Primary measurement by tonometers intended for measurements on the shoulder (forearm) is performed on both hands.
Pressure measurement methods
The Korotkov method
This method is about 100 years old. The method involves the measurement of pressure by a mechanical tonometer, as well as cuffs with a pear and a phonendoscope. The brachial artery is completely pinched, the air from the pre-inflated cuff is gradually released and listens for the tones that arise in this case. The method is considered the reference one. But the method has its drawbacks. To whom relate dependence on the individual characteristics of the person who makes the measurement (vision, hearing, coordination, etc.), also the method is sensitive to indoor noise and, in general, technically complex.
Oscillometric method
An electronic tonometer is required for the measurement,based on the method of recording by a tonometer of pulsations, which occur when blood passes through a compressed area of the artery under the cuff. The advantages of this method include its independence from the individual characteristics of the person taking the reading, it is also possible to measure through clothing and can be carried out by any person. The drawback of this method is sensitivity to movements of the hand during the measurement.
Now you know on which hand to measure pressure, do not confuse and do not let other people make mistakes.
