20. A sphygmomanometer is a:
Answer: C
A sphygmomanometer is a blood pressure gauge.
A sphygmomanometer is specifically designed to measure blood pressure, providing crucial information about the force of blood against the walls of arteries.
A) stethoscope
A stethoscope is an instrument used to listen to internal body sounds, such as the heartbeat and lung sounds, but it does not measure blood pressure. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
B) pulse oximeter
A pulse oximeter is a device that measures the oxygen saturation level in the blood, not blood pressure. This makes it an incorrect choice in the context of identifying a sphygmomanometer.
C) blood pressure gauge
A sphygmomanometer is indeed a blood pressure gauge, as it is specifically designed to measure the pressure in the arteries. This is the correct answer, as the function of the device aligns perfectly with the definition provided.
D) thermometer
A thermometer is used to measure body temperature and is not related to blood pressure measurement. Hence, this option is also incorrect.
Conclusion
The sphygmomanometer is definitively a blood pressure gauge, as it performs the specific function of measuring arterial pressure. All other options fail to relate to blood pressure measurement, thus reinforcing that C is the only correct answer.