The measurement obtained via palpation method for blood pressure is the:

• A. Diastolic blood pressure
• B. Mean arterial pressure
• C. Systolic blood pressure
• D. Pulse pressure

Answer: (C)

Palpation detects the moment the arterial pulse returns as you deflate the cuff, and that moment corresponds to the systolic blood pressure—the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts and pushes blood into the vessels. You inflate well above the expected systolic value, then slowly release and note the cuff pressure when you first feel the pulse again. That pressure is the systolic reading. Diastolic pressure, the pressure during heart relaxation, isn’t reliably determined by touch alone, so palpation isn’t used to read it. Mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure aren’t read from palpation either; they require knowing both systolic and diastolic values or doing a calculation.