Directions:
Imagine you are writing a process paragraph about how blood pressure is measured. Using the outline below, answer the questions that follow.
Taking Someone’s Blood Pressure
I. Topic Sentence: ___________________________________________
II. Body
A.
Positioning
the blood pressure cuff & stethoscope
1)
bladder
of cuff should be deflated
2)
cuff
placed around upper arm: snugly but not tightly
3)
pump
held in palm of hand à valve at top within reach
of fingers (to release air later)
4)
head
of stethoscope placed under edge of cuff (just above crease of patient’s elbow)
à held in place with thumb
5)
earpieces
of stethoscope placed inside ears
B.
Inflating
the cuff
1)
pump
squeezed quickly (while watching pressure gage)
2)
when
pressure reaches ~180 à valve on pump slightly
opened (not too fast/not too slow)
C. Recording
results
1) recording of systolic blood pressure on gage (when rushing
sound first heard)
2) sounds intensify à recording of diastolic
blood pressure (when sound last heard)
D. Releasing
air
1) valve on cuff opened completely
2) all pressure released
III.
Concluding
Statement
Questions:
1. Which of the following topic sentences is correct in terms
of content and grammar?
a)
To
take a patient’s blood pressure, you have to follow four main steps.
b)
Measuring
a patient’s blood pressure is a process involving four main steps.
c)
Measuring
a patient’s blood pressure, a process involving four main steps.
d)
Following
four steps is necessary to take a patient’s blood pressure by positioning,
inflating, recording, and releasing.
2. Which of the following is the most accurate, coherent, and
grammatical major supporting sentence for positioning the cuff and stethoscope?
a)
First,
place the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope on the arm of the patient.
b)
Positioning
the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope is an easy step.
c)
To
begin with, the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope must be positioned
correctly in order to get an accurate reading.
d)
First
is placing the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.
3. Imagine you have just written the sentence from question 2
above, what would the next sentence be in terms of accuracy and cohesiveness?
a) This is done by first ensuring that the bladder of the cuff is
deflated and then placing it snugly around the arm of the patient.
b) To do this, put the deflated cuff around the arm of the patient
so that it is snug.
c) This is done by deflating the bladder of the cuff while it is
on the arm of the patient.
d) The deflated cuff is placed tightly on the arm of the patient.
4. Which of the following is grammatically
correct?
a) The pump should be held in the palm of the hand, the valve
should be within easy reach of the fingers.
b) The pump is held in the palm of the hand; making the valve
within easy reach of the fingers.
c) The pump, which is held in the palm of the hand, making the
valve within easy reach of the fingers.
d) The pump should be held in the palm of the hand so that the
valve is within easy reach of the fingers.
5) Which of the following is
grammatically correct?
a)
The
head of the stethoscope is placed under the edge of the cuff and held there by
the thumb; the earpieces are placed in the ears.
b)
The
head of the stethoscope is placed under the edge of the cuff, is held there by
the thumb, and the earpieces are placed in the ears.
c)
The
head of the stethoscope is placed under the edge of the cuff, is held there by
the thumb, and is placed in the ears.
d)
The
head of the stethoscope is held under the edge of the cuff by the thumb and the
earpieces are placed in the ears.
6) Which of the following is the most accurate, coherent, and
grammatical major supporting sentence for inflating the cuff?
a)
Second,
you inflate the cuff.
b)
Inflating
the cuff requires many things to be done.
c)
Once
the cuff and stethoscope are in place, the cuff is inflated.
d)
Second,
the cuff will be inflated.
7) Imagine you have just written the sentence from question 5
above, what would the next sentence be in terms of accuracy and cohesiveness?
a)
To
inflate the cuff, the pump is squeezed quickly while watching the pressure
gage, and the valve is opened after it reaches 180.
b)
Squeeze
the pump quickly while keeping an eye on the pressure gage; once the gage
reaches 180, open the valve slightly.
c)
To
do this, the pump, which is squeezed quickly while watching the pressure valve,
opens the valve slightly once the gage reaches 180.
d)
The
pump is squeezed quickly while keeping an eye on the pressure gage; once the
gage reaches 180, the valve is opened slightly.
8) Which of the following is the most accurate, coherent, and
grammatical major supporting sentence for recoding the results?
a)
Third,
the results are recorded.
b)
As
the air begins to be released from the cuff, two results must be recorded: the
systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure.
c)
You
must now measure the systolic as well as the diastolic pressure.
d)
Two
things are involved in the result recording step.
9) Which of the following is
grammatically correct?
a)
The
systolic pressure, which is when the first rushing sound is heard, recorded.
b)
Recording
the systolic pressure when the first rushing sound is heard.
c)
When
the rushing sound is first heard, the systolic pressure is recorded.
d)
The
rushing sound is first heard and this is the systolic pressure which is
recorded.
10) Which of the following is the most accurate, coherent, and
grammatical major supporting sentence for releasing the air?
a)
The
last step in the process is completed once the valve is completely opened and
the pressure is released.
b)
Finally,
open the valve to release the pressure.
c)
Finally,
the last step is releasing the air.
d)
To
finish this process, the valve will be opened to release the pressure.
Although this is a process paragraph
exercise, the exam may include any of the paragraph types that you have studied
this semester.