Sit quietly for 5 minutes with feet flat on the floor and back supported
Rest the arm on a table at heart level
Wrap the cuff snugly around the upper arm
Place the stethoscope over the brachial artery in the inner elbow
Close the valve on the inflation bulb
Inflate the cuff until the pulse is no longer heard, then inflate 20 to 30 mmHg more
Slowly release the valve so the pressure drops about 2 to 3 mmHg per second
Listen for the first tapping sound and note the pressure as systolic
Continue listening until the sounds disappear and note the pressure as diastolic
Record the reading as systolic over diastolic
Wait 1 to 2 minutes and repeat the measurement
Use the average of the readings if needed