Certified Clinical Medical Assistant CCMA Practice Test

An MA has a BP cuff inflated and partially opens the valves to deflate as he listens with a stethoscope. When should he read the diastolic pressure?

1. When the first sound is heard

2. When the sounds disappear

3. When the second sound is heard

4. When the heart rate is stable

The correct answer is: When the sounds disappear

The correct response involves understanding how blood pressure is measured using a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. When measuring blood pressure, the diastolic pressure represents the point at which the sound of blood flow through the artery stops as the cuff continues to deflate. This cessation of sound indicates that the pressure in the artery has dropped to the level of the heart's relaxation phase, thereby providing a reading for diastolic pressure. During the procedure, the first sounds heard upon inflation signify the systolic pressure, which is when the heart contracts and blood begins to flow through the artery. As the cuff continues to deflate, sounds will become less pronounced until they finally disappear. This moment when the sounds cease entirely is crucial; it marks the diastolic pressure, reflecting the lowest pressure the blood exerts against the artery walls when the heart is in between beats. The other options do not accurately represent the indication of diastolic pressure. Reading during the first sound would capture the systolic reading, the second sound, while occasionally noted, is not standard in determining diastolic pressure, and stability of heart rate does not directly correlate with blood pressure readings. Thus, the correct approach to determining diastolic pressure is by noting when