ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT nursing assessments you perform is measuring blood pressure (BP). But if your patient's arms aren't accessible because of lymphedema or the presence of a vascular access device, you need an alternative to brachial measurement. One option is applying a BP cuff to your patient's thigh and listening for Korotkoff's sounds in the popliteal area. In this photo guide, I'll show you how.
Your first consideration is selecting an appropriate-sized cuff. (For size recommendations and other important points, see Sizing Up Thigh BP.)