And if you use a mercury sphygmomanometer, you can actually see those pulses appear and then disappear. (It's harder to see them with a gauge-based one.)
replyThe pulses you see are no substitute for a stethoscope. You see them later and they dissappear sooner than what you hear with a stethoscope.
replyYou need a closer eye on it ;)
replyOr go slower.
I'm an anesthesiologist; we will sometimes use a pulse oximeter below the cuff as a quick estimate. With practice you can estimate SBP to within 5 mm Hg or so, which is more than enough for our needs.
How about feeling in your arm? I think I can gauge it reasonably accurately.
replyPalpation BP's are good enough for +/- 10 mm Hg, but not much more, and won't give you diastolic.
replyIt does feel magical, especially when the first sound comes in. More details here [0].
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