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Korotkoff sounds
System: General & Eye–Ear Signs · All general & eye–ear signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
The tapping sounds heard through a stethoscope over the brachial artery as a blood pressure cuff is slowly deflated: their appearance marks systolic pressure, and their disappearance marks diastolic pressure.
What a positive finding suggests
The basis of manual (auscultatory) blood pressure measurement.
◈ Behind the name
Nikolai Sergeyevich Korotkoff (1874–1920), Russian surgeon, who described the sounds in 1905.
Related signs — General & Eye–Ear Signs
Browse the K section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.