Mason Blake
Korotkoff sounds are the sounds that medical personnel listen for when taking blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure. They are named after Nikolai Korotkov, a Russian physician who discovered them in 1905. Korotkov's technique requires only a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer) and a stethoscope to listen for the sounds. These sounds are generated when a blood pressure cuff changes the flow of blood through the artery. The sounds appear when cuff pressures are between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, because the underlying artery is collapsing completely and then reopening with each heartbeat. The cause of these sounds is still debated, with some suggesting they are due to vibrations of the arterial walls, while others hypothesize they are due to cavitation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Named After | Nikolai Korotkov, a Russian physician |
| Year of Discovery | 1905 |
| Method | Auscultatory |
| Mechanism | Shear vibrations conveyed in surrounding tissues by the nonlinear pulse wave propagation |
| Sounds Heard Through | Stethoscope or Doppler device |
| Number of Phases | 5 |
| Phase 1 | Clear, repetitive, faint tapping sounds |
| Phase 2 | Softening of sounds, swishing/whooshing sound |
| Phase 3 | Sharper, crisper sounds |
| Phase 4 | Abrupt muffling of sounds, blowing quality |
| Phase 5 | Total disappearance of sounds |
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What You'll Learn
- The sound is produced underneath the distal half of the blood pressure cuff
- The sound is caused by vibrations of the arterial walls
- The sound is heard when cuff pressure is between systolic and diastolic blood pressure
- The sound disappears when cuff pressure falls below diastolic blood pressure
- The sound has five distinct phases
The sound is produced underneath the distal half of the blood pressure cuff
Korotkoff sounds are named after Nikolai Korotkov, a Russian physician who discovered them in 1905. They are the sounds that medical personnel listen for when taking blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure. The sounds are produced underneath the distal half of the blood pressure cuff.
The sounds appear when cuff pressures are between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is because the underlying artery is collapsing completely and then reopening with each heartbeat. The artery collapses because the cuff pressure exceeds diastolic pressure; it opens again with each beat because the cuff pressure is less than systolic pressure. The sound represents the sudden deceleration of the rapidly opening arterial walls, causing a snapping or tapping sound.
Korotkoff sounds have five distinct phases. Phase one involves the appearance of faint, repetitive, clear tapping sounds, which gradually increase in intensity for at least two consecutive beats. This is the systolic blood pressure. Phase two is a brief period during which the sounds soften and acquire a swishing quality. Phase three is the return of sharper sounds, which become crisper and may even exceed the intensity of phase one sounds. Phase four is the distinct abrupt muffling of sounds, which become soft and blowing in quality. Phase five is the point at which all sounds finally disappear completely, indicating the diastolic pressure.
The second and third Korotkoff sounds have no known clinical significance. In some patients, sounds may disappear altogether for a short time between phase two and three, which is referred to as the auscultatory gap.
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The sound is caused by vibrations of the arterial walls
Korotkoff sounds are named after Russian physician Nikolai Korotkov, who discovered them in 1905. They are the sounds that medical personnel listen for when taking blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure.
The sounds are produced underneath the distal half of the blood pressure cuff when the cuff pressure is between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The sounds are caused by the underlying artery collapsing and then reopening with each heartbeat. This is because the cuff pressure exceeds diastolic pressure, causing the artery to collapse, and then the cuff pressure falls below the systolic pressure, allowing the artery to reopen with each beat.
The sound has been described as a snapping or tapping noise, similar to a boat sail snapping in the wind or a handkerchief being drawn taut. This sound is thought to be caused by the vibrations of the arterial walls, which are transmitted into the surrounding tissues like seismic waves. When a stethoscope is placed over the brachial artery, these vibrations can be heard as Korotkoff sounds.
Korotkoff sounds have five distinct phases, which are heard in sequential order as the blood pressure cuff is deflated. Phase one is a sharp or faint tapping sound, which indicates systolic pressure. Phase two is a swishing or whooshing sound, with phase three being a softer thump. Phase four is a softer, blowing, muffled sound, and phase five is the complete disappearance of all sounds, indicating diastolic pressure.
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The sound is heard when cuff pressure is between systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Korotkoff sounds are named after Russian physician Nikolai Korotkov, who discovered them in 1905. They are the sounds that medical personnel listen for when taking blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure. The sounds are produced underneath the distal half of the blood pressure cuff.
The sounds appear when cuff pressures are between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is because the underlying artery is collapsing completely and then reopening with each heartbeat. The artery collapses because the cuff pressure exceeds diastolic pressure; it opens again with each beat because the cuff pressure is less than systolic pressure. The sound represents the sudden deceleration of the rapidly opening arterial walls, which causes a snapping or tapping sound. Once the cuff pressure falls below the diastolic blood pressure, the sound disappears because the vessel wall no longer collapses but instead gently ebbs and expands with each beat, being held open by diastolic pressure.
Korotkoff sounds have five distinct phases: Phase One (Appearance of faint tapping sounds): As the cuff's pressure is released, the first faint tapping sounds become audible. This is the systolic pressure reading. Phase Two: A swishing/whooshing sound. Swishing sounds as the blood flows through blood vessels as the cuff is deflated. Phase Three: A thump (softer than phase one). Intense thumping sounds that are softer than phase one as the blood flows through the artery but the cuff pressure is still inflated to occlude flow during diastole. Phase Four: A softer, blowing, muffled sound that fades. Softer and muffled sounds as the cuff pressure is released. The change from the thump of phase three to the muffled sound of phase four is known as the first diastolic reading. Phase Five: The total disappearance of all sounds, indicating complete cuff deflation and normal blood flow, representing diastolic blood pressure.
The most commonly used measurement of blood pressure is to wrap an inflatable pressure cuff around the subject's upper arm. In auscultatory measurement of blood pressure, the presence of the Korotkoff sound at the sensor indicates that the systolic pressure is sufficient to overcome cuff pressure. On the other hand, the absence of Korotkoff sounds suggests that the systolic pressure is lower than the cuff pressure. By maintaining the cuff pressure, the person is able to get feedback about the presence or absence of the Korotkoff sound.
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The sound disappears when cuff pressure falls below diastolic blood pressure
Korotkoff sounds are the specific sounds heard when medical personnel take blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure. They are named after Nikolai Korotkov, a Russian physician who discovered them in 1905. The sounds are generated when a blood pressure cuff changes the flow of blood through the artery.
The five phases of Korotkoff sounds are heard in sequential order upon deflating the blood pressure cuff. Phase I involves clear tapping sounds heard for at least two consecutive beats, which is the systolic blood pressure. Phase II involves the softening of the tapping sounds and the addition of a swishing sound. Phase III involves the return of tapping sounds, similar to Phase I, but with increased sharpness and intensity.
Phase IV is when the sounds abruptly muffle, exhibiting a soft and blowing quality. Finally, in Phase V, all sounds disappear, indicating that the cuff pressure has fallen below the diastolic blood pressure. This is because the vessel wall no longer collapses but instead gently ebbs and expands with each beat, being held open by diastolic pressure. This phase represents normal blood flow, and the absence of sound indicates that the systolic pressure is lower than the cuff pressure.
The disappearance of sound in Phase V is essential for healthcare professionals to obtain accurate blood pressure readings and assess cardiovascular health.
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The sound has five distinct phases
Korotkoff sounds are named after Russian physician Nikolai Korotkov, who discovered them in 1905. They are the sounds medical personnel listen for when taking blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure. These sounds are generated when a blood pressure cuff changes the flow of blood through the artery.
Phase One: Appearance of faint tapping sounds
This is the first sound heard as the cuff pressure is released. This sound provides the systolic pressure reading. It is described as a sharp, clear, and repetitive tapping sound, which gradually increases in intensity for at least two consecutive beats.
Phase Two: Swishing/whooshing sound
This phase is characterised by the softening of the tapping sounds from Phase One, and the addition of a swishing or whooshing sound. This is caused by the blood flowing through the blood vessels as the cuff is deflated.
Phase Three: Return of sharper, intense tapping sounds
In this phase, the tapping sounds from Phase One return, but with increased sharpness and intensity. These thumping sounds occur as the blood flows through the artery, but the cuff pressure is still inflated enough to restrict the flow.
Phase Four: Abrupt muffling of sounds
This phase is marked by the muffling of the sounds, which become softer and blowing in quality. This change is due to increased resistance of the artery to collapse, caused by downstream engorgement of the veins.
Phase Five: Total disappearance of sounds
The final phase is characterised by the complete absence of all Korotkoff sounds, indicating normal blood flow and representing diastolic blood pressure. This phase is essential for healthcare professionals to obtain accurate blood pressure readings and assess cardiovascular health.
The second and third Korotkoff sounds do not currently hold any known clinical significance.
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Frequently asked questions
Korotkoff sounds are the specific sounds heard when measuring blood pressure using a non-invasive procedure. They are named after Russian physician Nikolai Korotkov, who discovered them in 1905.
Korotkoff sounds are generated when a blood pressure cuff changes the flow of blood through the artery. These sounds are heard through either a stethoscope or a Doppler device placed distal to the blood pressure cuff.
There are five distinct phases of Korotkoff sounds, heard in sequential order upon deflating the blood pressure cuff.
