When assessing blood pressure in a patient with a limb injury, what is a common approach?

• A. Use the injured arm if possible
• B. Use the uninjured arm if possible; otherwise follow protocol and choose an appropriate site or device
• C. Do not measure blood pressure
• D. Use the leg for cuff placement

Answer: (B)

When a limb is injured, measure blood pressure on the uninjured arm if possible. The injured limb may have casts, edema, vascular injury, or pain that can distort the reading or worsen the injury if a cuff is applied there. Using the other arm avoids these issues and tends to give a more reliable measurement. If the uninjured arm cannot be used, follow your protocol and choose an appropriate alternate site or device that is validated for that location and applied correctly. It’s also important to position the patient with the cuff at heart level and use the correct cuff size to ensure accuracy.