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What Is Palpatory Pressure?

The phrase "palpatory pressure" refers to the systolic blood pressure taken by the palpatory method. When taking blood pressure by either the palpatory method or the auscultatory method, the blood pressure cuff is typically inflated 30 mm/Hg above where the pulse stops. While the palpatory pressure does not give a complete blood pressure measurement, a doctor or nurse can use an initial palpatory pressure to avoid over-inflating the blood pressure cup when taking a patient's blood pressure with the auscultatory method.

  1. Blood Pressure

    • A blood pressure measurement consists of two separate readings: the systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic pressure is the first reading taken and indicates the amount of force blood exerts on the arterial wall during contraction of the heart. Diastolic press is the second reading taken and indicates the pressure of blood in the artery when the heart is at rest. Blood pressure is writing as systolic/diastolic and recorded as mm/Hg. A normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm/Hg or less.

    Palpatory Blood Pressure Method

    • A palpatory pressure indicates that the person taking the blood pressure palpitated or touched the radial pulse while decreasing the pressure in a blood pressure cuff and noting the pressure level on the sphygmomanometer where the pulse returns. The radial pulse is located on the inside of the wrist on the same side as the thumb and just below the wrist crease. By placing a blood pressure cuff over the brachial artery in the upper arm and inflating it, the pressure in the cuff becomes greater than the systolic pressure in the artery, temporarily stopping blood flow from the brachial artery to the radial artery. When the pressure in the cuff is released, pressure inside the artery begins to equalize. The pressure at which the pressure returns in the systolic pressure or the active pressure exerted on the artery wall.

    Auscultatory Blood Pressure Method

    • The auscultatory method is similar to the palpatory method, but uses the brachial pulse at the inner elbow and the person taking the reading listens to the pulse rather than feeling the pulse. The blood pressure cuff is inflated until the pulse is no longer heard. When the pressure is released, the pressure at which the pulse sounds returns is noted as the systolic pressure. The pulse sounds, also known as Korotkoff sounds, decrease in volume, increase again and then disappear temporarily. The disappearance of the Korotkoff sounds indicates the diastolic, or resting pressure.

    The Possibilities of a Diastolic Palpatory Pressure

    • A study published by the Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology suggests that it may be possible to achieve accurate diastolic pressure readings by the palpatory method. This method assumes that a person can feel the effects on blood flow that the Korotkoff sounds indicate. Like the auscultatory method, the person taking the blood pressure uses the brachial pulse of the inner arm, but applies three fingers to the pulse point instead of a stethoscope. The first return of a thrill, or purring pulse, indicates the systolic pressure and short disappearance of the pulse or thrill is the diastolic pressure. According to the research, the new palpatory method accurately measures both the systolic and diastolic pressure within a maximum of plus or minus 4 mm/Hg of the auscultatory method in 191 of 200 patients tested. While at the time of publication this method is not common practice, the authors suggest it may be useful for frequent blood pressure readings, for readings while the patient is on a treadmill or for times when a stethoscope is not available.

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