Repairing a blood pressure gauge to zero
Our boat came equipped with a MACKDADDY (you can thank me later for the 80s reference) First Aid Kit. It has gauze, tape, band-aid, splints, ice bags, tourniquets, Ace bandages,
Burn aid dressings, CPR masks, blood pressure cuff and gauge, drugs (get your mind out of the gutter haha), and MORE! I hope we never have to use any of these in an emergency situation but it is comforting to know it’s there.
In the exploration of the contents of our First Aid Kit we realized that the Sphygmomanometer wasn’t zero’ed out. Captain Ed is a very good first responder so it was time for me to take lessons!
Here is the instructions on how to reset a blood pressure gauge to zero.
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Having worked in the field of cardio-pulmonary medicine for 15 years, I can assure you that the reading you got was not correct. The inside of the Sphygmomanometer consist mainly of a diaphragm that is mechanically linked to the needle with a tiny rod. The only thing that usually goes bad is the diaphragm itself, which cannot be repaired or re-calibrated without the aid of special tools. Better off purchasing an inexpensive, electronic blood pressure cuff, which is extremely accurate and doesn’t depend upon your ability to hear or palpate the artery. I have one that only cost me $20 online and has worked flawlessly for nearly a decade.
Good luck,
Gary
Thanks so much Gary, That is some good information to know. I will look into getting a new one asap.
Thanks,
Cara