A concise report spanning less than three hundred words delivered to the Imperial Military Medical Academy in 1905 transformed the practice of clinical medicine. Nikolai Korotkov identified that the sounds produced in an artery during the release of cuff pressure could accurately determine both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, a method that remains the global standard.
Military Service and Medical Training
Born in Kursk in 1874, Nikolai Korotkov pursued his medical education at the National University of Kharkiv and later transferred to Lomonosov Moscow State University, graduating in 1898. Early in his career, he served as a resident intern under Alexander Bobrov. His practical experience expanded significantly during the Boxer Rebellion, where he served with the Russian Red Cross in the Far East. He was later decorated with the Order of Saint Anna, 3rd class, for his efforts in treating soldiers.
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Take the IQ test →Developing the Auscultatory Technique
After the Russo-Japanese War, where he served as a senior surgeon in Harbin, Korotkov joined the Military Medical Academy in Saint Petersburg under Sergey Fedorov. During his time there, he experimented with blood pressure measurement using a Riva-Rocci cuff. He presented his findings to the Academy, demonstrating that sounds heard through a stethoscope below the cuff provided reliable manometric data. Despite initial skepticism from his peers, he successfully defended his theory using animal experiments.
Later Career and Final Years
Korotkov received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1910, following his research in the Vitimsko-Olekminsky mining district. He later provided surgical care to miners in Lensk and worked at the Charitable House for disabled soldiers during the First World War. Following the October Revolution, he served as physician-in-chief at the Mechnikov Hospital in Petrograd. He died in 1920 in Saint Petersburg and was interred at the Bogoslovskoe cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1874, Kursk
- Died: 1920, Saint Petersburg
- Education: Lomonosov Moscow State University, National University of Kharkiv
- Award: Order of Saint Anna, 3rd class
- Burial: Bogoslovskoe cemetery
- Field: Surgery
Questions readers ask
What is the Korotkoff method?
It is a non-invasive auscultatory technique used to measure blood pressure by listening for specific sounds through a stethoscope while using a sphygmomanometer.
When was the blood pressure technique introduced?
Korotkov reported his findings to the Imperial Military Medical Academy in 1905.
Achievements
- Order of Saint Anna, 3rd class
- Held posts at National University of Kharkiv
