Nonstandard arm positions, such as supporting the arm on the lap and unsupported arm at the side, are commonly used during blood pressure (BP) measurements. A study evaluated the impact of nonstandard arm positions on BP readings in 133 adults. The study found that supporting the arm on the lap during BP measurement overestimated systolic and diastolic BP by 3.9 and 4.0 mmHg, respectively. Similarly, an unsupported arm at the side overestimated systolic and diastolic BP by 6.5 and 4.4 mmHg, respectively.
The findings emphasized that using nonstandard arm positions during BP measurement may lead to overestimation and misdiagnosis of hypertension . The study highlighted the importance of following guidelines, which recommend supporting the arm on a desk with the midcuff positioned at the heart level for accurate BP measurement. Should nonstandard arm positions be avoided when measuring…
