Study for the Colorado CNA Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


The __________ is the first measurement of blood pressure, when the heart is at work.

  1. Diastolic

  2. Systolic

  3. Peripheral

  4. Atrial

The correct answer is: Diastolic

The first measurement of blood pressure is known as the systolic blood pressure. The diastolic blood pressure is taken as the second measurement, when the heart is relaxed. The term "peripheral" refers to the location where the blood pressure is being measured (e.g. arm, leg, etc.) and is not a specific measure of blood pressure. The atrial pressure is not typically measured when taking blood pressure, as it is a measure of the pressure in the upper chambers of the heart rather than the overall blood pressure.