Which action taken by a UAP while measuring blood pressure is correct?

Using a cuff on the bare arm is essential for accurate blood pressure readings. Clothing can interfere with the measurement by increasing resistance and altering the pressure needed to occlude the artery adequately. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the arm is bare so that the cuff can make direct contact with the skin.

The next option, which involves wrapping the cuff with the bladder covering three-quarters of the limb circumference, ensures that the cuff fits properly. A well-fitting cuff is vital for obtaining accurate blood pressure measurements, as a cuff that is too small can lead to artificially high readings, while a cuff that is too large can give falsely low readings. Proper coverage of the limb helps in achieving an accurate assessment of blood pressure.

Measuring blood pressure without the client seated is not advisable, as the seated position with the arm at heart level provides the most reliable readings. Lastly, continuously inflating the cuff during measurement is incorrect because it can cause discomfort to the patient and may lead to erroneous results. The recommended practice is to inflate the cuff to a certain level and then allow it to deflate gradually while measuring the systolic and diastolic pressures.