The RN measures a client's BP as 130/80, while the UAP's measurement is 120/90. Which rationale would explain the measurement difference?

• A. Poor fitting of the cuff
• B. Deflating the cuff too quickly
• C. Incorrect placement of the stethoscope
• D. The patient moved during measurement

Answer: (A)

Accurate blood pressure readings depend on a cuff that fits the arm properly and is applied correctly at heart level. When the cuff fit is poor, readings can be inaccurate. A cuff that is too small tends to overestimate BP because more pressure is required to occlude the artery, leading to higher readings. This kind of device-related error is a common reason for differences between measurements taken by different staff members, rather than a true change in the patient's BP. Other factors like deflating the cuff too quickly, incorrect placement of the stethoscope, or movement can cause errors too, but poor cuff fitting best explains why two different examiners might get noticeably different results.