What are Korotkoff sounds?

Korotkoff sounds are critical phenomena when measuring blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. They are the sounds that healthcare providers listen for as they inflate a cuff around the arm and then gradually release the pressure. The first sound corresponds to the systolic blood pressure, indicating the point at which blood starts to flow through the artery again as the cuff pressure falls below that blood pressure. As the cuff continues to deflate, the sounds change and eventually disappear, which corresponds to the diastolic blood pressure. These sounds are named after Nikolai Korotkoff, the Russian doctor who first described them, making them essential for accurate blood pressure assessment and an important tool in cardiovascular physiology.