Auscultatory method of measuring blood pressure

In auscultatory method of measuring BP or human blood pressureuses, the doctor uses a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer. This is a set of inflatable (Riva-Rocci) cuff which is placed around the upper arm at roughly the same vertical height as the heart. It is directly attached to a mercury or aneroid manometer.

The mercury manometer, considered to be the gold standard for blood pressure measurement, measures the height of a column of mercury, giving an absolute result without need for calibration, and consequently not subject to the errors and drift of calibration which affect other methods.

The use of mercury manometers is often required in clinical trials and for the clinical measurement of hypertension in high risk patients, including pregnant women.