Why Is It Important to Use the Correct Size Cuff

Using a blood pressure cuff

Why is it important to use the correct size blood pressure cuff?

The proper cuff and bladder size used in the assessment of blood pressure is important for accurate measurement. The use of a cuff that is too short and narrow for a given arm results in erroneously high blood pressure measurement. Use of a cuff that is too large results in erroneously low blood pressure measures.

What are the effects of using a blood pressure cuff that is one size larger than appropriate?

In 1901 Von Recklinghausen2 was the first to observe that a smaller BP cuff gives a falsely high BP reading. Many subsequent studies have shown that a cuff larger than appropriate size can give falsely low measurements (large cuff effect), whereas a smaller one gives falsely high readings (small cuff effect).