While a nurse takes a blood pressure measurement on a patient, what determines h

How much to inflate the cuff is determined from what systolic pressure is expected. Therefore, factors such as age and weight, BP history, and suspected cardiovascular pathology are relevant. The higher the cuff pressure, the greater the chance of causing a patient pain. The nurse would not know for certain he had inflated the cuff too much until he opened the valve to reduce pressure, and determined the systolic blood pressure, at which point he could conclude that he inflated the cuff more than necessary. If he had inflated the cuff insufficiently, he would hear sounds associated with flowing blood as soon as he begins to listen through the stethoscope.