• The chance of spreading illness increases whenever you are exposed to medical equipment. One of the first things nurses do at doctors' offices and hospitals is take patients' blood pressure readings using sphygmomanometers. To ensure cleanliness and an accurate blood pressure reading, sphygmomanometers should be cleaned every six months. The mercury gauges should be calibrated every 12 months, and the aneroid gauges every six months. Hygiene and accurate readings are two reasons why regular sphygmomanometer maintenance is important.
  
  

Cleaning

• Wipe the gauge, inflation bulb, valve, tubes and cuff with a slightly damp cloth or alcohol pad that contains 70 percent alcohol or 0.5 percent bleach. If the valve has a filter screen, remove any dust from it. Some cuffs have a removable bladder; if yours does, remove the bladder from the cuff and wipe it with ethanol to prevent the bladder from cracking.
  
  Blood pressure cuffs can also be cleaned in the washing machine. However, read the manufacturer's instructions prior to doing this. Always use the gentle cycle, cool or warm water, along with a mild disinfectant or an enzymatic detergent. Remember to remove the bladder, inflation bulb, valves, tubes and gauge, and cap off the cuff port so that water doesn't get inside the cuff in the washer. Air dry it completely before reassembling it. Never place the sphygmomanometer in the dryer or iron it because the heat will damage the cuff.
  
  

Disinfecting

• Disinfecting the sphygmomanometer is the next maintenance requirement. A number of high-level chemical disinfectants have been approved by the FDA; however, according to the CDC's Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), "Glutaraldehyde is used most commonly as a high-level disinfectant for medical equipment." Another commonly used high-level chemical disinfectant is ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA). It has several advantages over glutaraldehyde, one of which is that it disinfects much faster than glutaraldehyde. To disinfect your home sphygmomanometer, call the manufacturer for a list of safe home disinfectants for your particular model.
  
  

Sterilizing

• According to HICPAC, "sterilization destroys all microorganisms on the surface of an article, or in a fluid to prevent disease transmission associated with the use of that item." Sterilizing a sphygmomanometer requires a low-temperature gas-type sterilization process. There are two types of sterilization used in hospitals: Ethylene Oxide (ETO) Gas Sterilization and Hydrogen Peroxide Gas Plasma.
  
  

Calibration

• Calibrating a sphygmomanometers at least once a year is the final maintenance requirement. The gauge should also be calibrated if it has been dropped or if the needle no longer reads zero. Calibration should always be done by a professional because it requires removing the cover and adjusting or replacing components inside of the gauge.
  
  

Tips and Warnings

• Do not submerge the gauge in water; dry the blood pressure cuff in a clothes dryer and never iron it; never use a glutaraldehyde-type disinfectant on the gauge, bulb, valve or tubes; always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when using any type of disinfectant; and do not sterilize aneroid and mercury gauges.