, resting on a desk) Position the middle of cuff on the patient s upper arm, level with the right atrium Use the correct cuff size so that the bladder encircles 75 100% of the upper arm Take proper measurements needed At the first visit, record blood pressure in both arms; use the arm that gives the higher reading for subsequent readings (if consistently 10 15 mm Hg higher) Separate repeated measurements by 30 seconds Properly document accurate blood pressure readings Record SBP and DBP Note the time of most recent blood pressure medication taken before measuring Use average readings Average 2 readings for the visit blood pressure For initial documentation of the patient s blood pressure, use an average of the visit readings from 2 occasions to estimate the individual s blood pressure Provide blood pressure readings to patient Provide patients their SBP/DBP readings both verbally and in writing; help the patient interpret the results For more information about blood pressure measurements, see Appendix G and Appendix H in the full CPG. 