Most clinicians use a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. The sphygmomanometer is a device that inflates a cuff around the midportion of the arm to compress the brachial artery against the humerus. The cuff is inflated so it exceeds the systolic blood pressure (greater than 120 mm Hg). The clinician places a stethoscope over the brachial artery in the cubital fossa and listens (auscultates) for the pulse. As the pressure in the arm cuff of the sphygmomanometer is reduced just below the level of the systolic blood pressure, the pulse becomes audible as a regular thumping sound. As the pressure in the sphygmomanometer continues to drop, the regular thumping sound becomes clearer. When the pressure in the sphygmomanometer is less than that of the diastolic blood pressure, the audible thumping sound becomes inaudible. Using the simple scale on the sphygmomanometer, the patient’s blood pressure can be determined. The normal range is 90–120/60–80 mm Hg (systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure).