Korotoff sounds are best described as?

• A. Thumping sounds heard when taking blood pressure
• B. Pulsatile noises in arteries during rest
• C. Clicking sounds in joints during movement
• D. Whistling sounds in the lungs

Answer: (A)

Korotkoff sounds are the noises heard with a stethoscope when measuring blood pressure using a cuff. As the cuff pressure is lowered, blood begins to flow turbulently through the artery that has been partially occluded, producing a characteristic thump or tapping. The first audible sound marks systolic pressure, and the sounds disappear as the cuff pressure falls below the diastolic pressure. These sounds are specific to the auscultatory method of indirect BP measurement and are not simply normal arterial pulsations at rest, joint noises, or lung sounds.