Blood pressure measurement oscillometric or according to Korotkow?
The
most digital blood pressure monitors determine blood pressure
oscillometrically. In this method, the vibrations of the pulsating blood
are measured and the blood pressure is calculated from them. When the doctor measures with the
stethoscope, he determines the values from the sounds of blood flow.
This method comes from the doctor Nikolai S. Korotkow and is referred to as measurement
according to Korotkow (or Korotkoff). Korotkow presented this method on November 8, 1905
at a seminar in St. Petersburg. The sounds heard during
blood pressure measurement are called Korotkow sounds.
In the Korotkow measurement, systolic and diastolic blood pressure are measured separately, while in the oscillometric measurement, the two values are derived from the oscillation. Modern blood pressure monitors
work with the oscillometric method, and before approval, they are validated to ensure that the displayed values correspond to those of the Korotkow measurement.
Illustration: Measurement with an oscillometric device
1. The cuff is applied.
2. The cuff is inflated until it interrupts blood flow.
3. When releasing the air, the vibrations in the blood flow are recorded.
4. When the blood flows again without turbulence, the measurement is complete.
Sources:
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated by Horst Klier (12/2023).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
We hope you found the article on the topic helpful. Correct measurement is very important for good blood pressure management. Our app BloodPressureDB helps with that. Concrete explanations guide you through a guideline-compliant measurement.
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