Blood pressure

1) I have noticed a lot of doctors using automatic blood pressure machines these days, does your doctor us a manual cuff and stethoscope or automatic cuff?

2) if wearing normal clothes, do you push your own sleeve up or let the doctor push your sleeve up?

Family doctor does it the manual way. They usually just do it over what I'm wearing. Other practices (dermatologist, eye doctor, etc.) use the automatic ones, usually on the wrist.

My doctor takes my blood pressure old school arm cuff/stethoscope. I roll up my sleeve if needed. I am usually wearing a t shirt anyhow.

My doctors still use the manual cuff to take their patients' blood pressure. However, I have an automatic cuff which I use to take my own blood pressure at home, as well as a manual cuff for play time. I have always rolled up my own sleeve. I don't believe any doctor or nurse has ever offered to do it for me.

My GP still uses the traditional manual mercury Sphygmomanometer with its manually inflatable cuff and a stethoscope when taking your blood pressure at the surgery. During my training these were the only available devices for measuring a patient's blood pressure and most of the times we rolled up the sleeve of the patient's gown or pajamas.

Incidentally I believe that these are much more accurate that the automatic machines, however as with most people I own an automatic machine which I use to monitor my blood pressure.

At present in my clinical environment we use either an automatic blood pressure module from our telemetry monitoring or an invasive arterial line for continuous blood pressure monitoring for patients on inotropic or ventilatory support.

I have a manual cuff and an automatic. Both are calibrated. I prefer the manual. My physicians keep a manual in their exam rooms which they check against the automatic the nurse, ma, assistant uses in the hall. The readings are always different. My physicians usually take my BP at least twice during the appointments. I have "white coat syndrome" and it is usually present at all my appointments. I prefer the manual. It amazes me how many people do not know how to accurately take a manual BP and only rely on the automatic, believing the automatic to be the most accurate, that there is no reason to learn how to take a manual BP and become accurate and proficient in taking a manual BP

...Just my humble personal opinion... Geez, I think my BP is up a bit... I should probably go check it manually now... LOL!

My GP doesn't do it just refers me to the automatic machine in the corridor or the practise nurse who also uses automatic machine. I have both mercury & aneroid type. Personally don't think you can beat the build up of the doctor or nurse wrapping the cuff tight & then listening as they pump. having worked around cardiac cathlabs & MRI units have been told on many occasions by medical peoples that the automatic ones aren't always reliable, but manual depends a lot on the person using with the stethoscope.

Taking a blood pressure through palpation is fast becoming a lost clinical skill especially with the newly qualified nurses. It is a vital skill especially if your patient is hypotensive and you are unable to determine it using the afore mention automatic blood pressure machines.

My own physician also prefers & uses the traditional manual (mercury vial ) BP monitor with inflatable cuff....Retained within folding metal case and ALWAYS situated upon her office credenza within her multi purpose examination suite .........As does her "in house" RN associate if called upon & dependent on prevailing circumstances.....

Likewise both maintain superior accuracy gained through clinical experience & I would be inclined to agree based on observation, however that is not to say digital display(automatics) also serve the same purpose, though I feel there is a distinct difference in absolute true accuracy-- just my opinion for what it's worth !......But my preference definitely leans toward manual application from the point of view the compression factor being more up close & personal procedure thus to my liking.

@ That Australian

"But my preference definitely leans toward manual application from the point of view the compression factor being more up close & personal procedure thus to my liking."

I can't count the amount of times I have had female colleagues complaint about having their breast groped or brush against either intentionally or accidentally when taking manual blood pressure.

My doctor uses the automatic cuff. I pull my own sleeve up.

My doctors office uses the manual cuff still and I pull my own sleeve up when needed.

I love the manual way, the sound of the cuff and the stethoscope on my brachial is a great feeling, and I like to take off my t-shirt for the bp check, after that a good heart auscultation coulld be the next step.

Manual always at my dr. Once at a walk in clinic for sinus infection (at hospital) they used the automatic.

Usually I ppull shirt up, usually it would be off

My Doc still uses the cuff and stethoscope method. He did try using an automatic on me once, but I haven't seen it since (that was 3 or 4 years ago).

I usually wear a golf shirt (short sleeves, like a T-shirt). But if I have a long sleeved shirt on, I roll up the sleeve.

I think both the doctor's office and the blood donor clinic I go to use automatic ones.

My doctor uses a manual instrument but I use an Omron autoamatic at home. I never learned how to use a manual cuff. I bought the cuff back in May so when I had an appointment in June I brought it with me to show that I was checking myself. Before the doctor came in, the nurse took a measurement. After she left and while I was waiting, I used my cuff and got a similar reading so I gather mine is pretty close.

Automatic machine, usually. I can't remember the last time it was done manually, in fact.

Still manual. I push my sleeve up.

My GP practice still use the traditional manual method. I usually push up my sleeve for them. At the hospital they use the automatic version and usually just do it over the shirt, if I've got long sleeves on. I personally find that the automatic machine pumps the cuff up so high that it hurts my arm. Also the readings recorded by the automatic machine always seem to be higher than the manual version - which can be important as I have "White coat syndrome" and my BP is elevated at GP/Hospital. At home I use an automatic machine.

My doctor still uses the traditional manual way to check blood pressure. He also rolls up the sleeve to do so.

My doctor uses the automatic one and I pull my own sleeve up, though I have occasionally had doctors/nurses pull it up a bit further if it wasn't high up enough. My GP did once use a manual cuff to double-check the automatic reading.

My doctors office kinda aging. Its has early 80's decor, counters, and some aging equipment.

They do have tablets they carry around. But no digital blood pressure readings.

My doctors office uses manual as do I at home. Its cheap and reliable. Also, if you have any PVCs taking it manually you can be sure they are not biasing the results. You are never sure how the automatic ones handle them.

Most of the doctor I go to now use the newer digital units. Went to my PCP yesterday for a physical, and they now have a new model that is a battery powered digital model put out by the Welsh/Allyn Company. I tested out with a bp of 119/64 on it yesterday (7/22/2014).

My chiropractor checks my pressure at every visit. She uses manual, green Welch Allyn latex cuff and listens with a Littman Cardiology 3 steth

It depends on the doctor. My endocrinologist uses an automatic one and I hate it. My general practitioner uses a wall mounted manual Welch Allyn and I LOVE wen she takes my blood pressure. Of course I have to sleeve up, she doesn't like to take blood pressure over the sleeve.

I much prefer manual BP models but for the last few years I have only seen doctors with automatic units which are very dull imo.

My doctor still uses a manual model. She will always ask me to roll my sleeve up

For medical play, I use a manual cuff with a Littmann Classic II stethoscope. I will ask the patient to roll up their sleeve if necessary but will often do BP just prior to the chest exam with the patient stripped to the waist

Most do seem to use digital now but I prefer the manual version + steth and have had that used on me lots of times in medicals, the gym, sports exams and so on. In my last exam the machine wasn't thought to be accurate so the doc reverted to the old one, which was awesome. In terms of clothes, because I've always had it done as part of a medical or at the gym I've typically had no shirt on.