BLOOD PRESSURE

A sphygmomanometer is an instrument used to measure blood pressure. The device typically consists of an inflatable rubber cuff which is applied to the arm and connected to a column of mercury next to a graduated scale, enabling the determination of systolic and diastolic blood pressure by increasing and gradually releasing the pressure in the cuff. The word "sphygmomanometer" is put together from the Greek "sphygmos", the beating of the heart or the pulse and "manometer", a device for measuring pressure or tension.