This first section of the session will identify the working principles of manual sphygmomanometers and their limitations for clinical use.

The apparatus consists of a cuff enclosing an inflatable bladder, an inflating bulb with a bleed valve and a gauge to read the pressure. The technique involves placing an appropriately sized cuff circumferentially around the arm, inflating the cuff to a pressure above the expected systolic pressure and then deflating the cuff slowly. The blood pressure can be then determined either by palpation or by auscultation.