The systole is the phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts and pumps blood from the chambers to the arteries, whereas the diastole is when the heart refills with blood following contraction. The stethoscope is used to measure the heart rate while the sphygomomanometer is used to measure blood pressure. Using your thumb to measure your pulse is not ideal since the thumb itself has it's own pulse running through it, resulting in hearing multiple pumps at a time. In order to measure blood pressure, you must first deflate the air bladder so it can fit snugly on the upper arm. Put the head of the stethoscope under the cuff, a little bit above the crease of the elbow. Then begin pumping air into the bladder until the pressure reaches around 150, then slightly open the valve. As the needle falls down, pay attention to the first pulse, which will be the systolic (upper) blood pressure. Pay attention carefully for the last pulse and note the pressure the pulse stops on. This final pulse will be the diastolic (lower) blood pressure.
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