ausculation. This control function is includ-
ed so that the trainee can become famil-
iar with this phenomenon. Pressing the
Gap key simply turns the gap function
off or on. When the key is pressed, a
message will briefly appear that the aus-
culatory gap is enabled or disabled. Also
the main display will show (at the bottom
right of the display) either AGap:Y (for
on) or AGap:N (for off).
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 11
Figure 10
The arrow up and down keys also
control the volume of the sounds that
are present in the arm. From the main
menu, press the up arrow key to increase
the volume, press the down arrow key to
decrease the volume. The volume levels
can be adjusted from level 1 (the lowest
volume) to level 7 (the highest volume).
Using the NASCO
Life/form®
Blood Pressure Simulator
First, verify that the pressure line tub-
ing from the sphygmomanometer and
the audio line coming from the simu-
lated arm assembly are properly con-
nected to the blood pressure simulator
unit, as previously described in the set
up procedures. Apply the sphygmoma-
nometer cuff and gauge to the simulated
arm assembly in the usual manner. Apply
the stethoscope to the simulated arm also
in the usual manner. Set the systolic and
diastolic controls to the desired levels.
Select the auscultatory gap if desired.
Finally, adjust the pulse rate control to the
desired setting.
To proceed with the simulated blood
pressure measurement, first close the
valve on the sphygmomanometer bulb
tightly and begin pumping air into the
cuff until the gauge reads higher than
the preset systolic level chosen. Once
this point is reached, loosen the valve
on the bulb slightly to allow the gauge
pressure reading to decrease slowly.
While monitoring the arm assembly with
the stethoscope, note the point on the
sphygmomanometer gauge when the first
Korotkoff sound is heard. This will be the
systolic blood pressure. Allow the pres-
sure in the cuff to continue to decrease
until the point at which the last pulse is
heard, noting the reading on the gauge.
This is the diastolic blood pressure.
Compare the results of reading the
systolic and diastolic blood pressures on
the gauge with the respective settings on
the simulator. If the readings were accu-
rate they should compare favorably with
the preset values. If the auscultatory gap
had been selected, then an absence
of an audible pulse would have been
noticed during what would have been
the phase 2 Korotkoff sound. It is this
lack of an audible pulse that is con-
sidered an auscultatory gap. Note that
in reality the auscultatory gap can be
present in either the phase 1 or phase 2
Korotkoff sounds. If it is desired to dem-
onstrate the sounds heard while mea-
suring a subject’s blood pressure to the
trainee or group of trainees, an auxiliary
blood pressure speaker amplifier system
is available (SB20146U). If the auxiliary
speaker is used, the speaker is plugged
into the EXT AUDIO AMP jack located
next to the ARM output jack at the top
of the unit. Adjust the volume control
to increase the output of the auxiliary
speaker amplifier, and proceed with the
blood pressure measurement sequence
as it would normally be performed except
that the stethoscope need not be used.
Instead, listen to the sounds as they ema-
nate from the speaker amplifier, noting the
differences in the Korotkoff phases being
presented.
The NASCO
Life/form®
Blood Pressure
Simulator is programmed to demonstrate
the 5 Korotkoff phases, including an aus-
cultatory gap, which can be heard during
auscultation of a subject, while measur-
ing the subject’s blood pressure. Each is
distinctly different and present for only a
portion of the measurement sequence.
Low Battery Indicator
When the battery supply diminishes
to a level near the point that the unit will
no longer function properly, the “low
batt” segment of the systolic pressure
display will activate when the pressure
in the sphygmomanometer cuff reaches
above 20 mmHg. At this point, the batter-
ies should be replaced as soon as pos-
sible in order to insure proper operation
of the unit. Refer to the section titled
“Installing the Batteries.”
3
4
Palpable pulse feature
The NASCO
Life/form®
Blood
Pressure Simulator also incorporates a
palpable pulse at the radial location.
(
See figure 9.
)
Palpations can be felt
upon start-up of the unit or after blood
pressure settings have been made.
Press the Menu key repeatedly until “Set
PALPATION” menu appears. “Pulse ON”
is defaulted and enables the palpation
feature. Palpations continue during infla-
tion until the cuff pressure reaches the
systolic set point, and resumes when the
cuff pressure reaches the systolic set point
during the deflation of the cuff.
A pulseless condition can be simulated
by switching your unit to the “pulseless”
mode. Press the Menu key repeatedly
until “Set PALPATION” menu appears.
By pressing the down arrow at this point,
palpations can be disabled causing the
simulator to be pulseless. When in the
“pulseless” mode, all settings are auto-
matically reset to 0 and all blood pres-
sure sounds are disabled.
The pulseless setting will also turn
off the sounds in the arm. The pulse will
always be on unless the pulseless feature
is activated or if the systolic or heart rate
levels are set to zero. To do this, press the
Menu key four times. The down arrow
key will set the pulse to pulseless. Press
the arrow up key to turn the pulse back
on.
(See figure 10.)
Located to the
right of the Menu key is the ausculatory
Gap key.
(See figure 11.)
This key is
included to simulate the ausculatory gap
that is sometimes present between phase
1 and phase 2 sounds in which no audi-
ble sound is noted during this portion of
Pulse Location
