Ace the Blood Pressure Lab Challenge 2026 – Pump Up Your Skills and Conquer the Test!

Using a cuff that is too narrow causes the blood pressure readings to be higher than the true values. A narrow cuff doesn’t apply pressure as evenly or effectively around the arm, so more cuff pressure is needed to occlude the brachial artery. When you measure and then release pressure, the inflated pressure you rely on to mark systolic and diastolic points ends up being artificially elevated. That’s why a cuff that’s too narrow tends to give falsely high readings for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. To avoid this, choose a cuff with a width about 40% of the arm’s circumference and ensure the bladder encircles about 80% of the arm.