tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post7444334877602740058..comments2023-10-29T02:06:52.260-06:00Comments on Doc of Ages: How to take a blood pressure readingdenverdochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09574453567392165275noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-13409353599630665262008-08-12T17:11:00.000-06:002008-08-12T17:11:00.000-06:00a useful discussion Doc. I have been studying this...a useful discussion Doc. I have been studying this recently. Having been a pharmacist for nearly 30yrs i qualified this spring as a prescriber. I am specialising in hypertension and CVD risk assessment. The recommendations you say about 5minutes rest before taking BP i do follow, and the trying to get a patient to be calm & not talking as i take it. These and many other recommendations are on the British Hypertension Soc website, and referred to by the excellent NPCi website and the UK MHRA - Medicines regulatoary agency. I'll try & get links later. As for using home measurements as some posters have commented- all the research on treating hypertension has been on 'office' BP, so we usually have to add a little say 8-10mmhg to the home reading.<BR/>all best Rob in wales UKrobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04380733968309050631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-56246162011030517492008-08-11T17:06:00.000-06:002008-08-11T17:06:00.000-06:00As one on BP medication, I'm proud to say my recor...As one on BP medication, I'm proud to say my record readings always occur in the doctor's office. (Where the rules for proper BP readings are not strictly adhered to.) However, the vast majority of time such readings are very good at home. (Maybe I should just lock myself in the house?)<BR/><BR/>But reading this thread (and no offense intended for anyone here) for some unknown reason, I found myself humming songs from Pink Floyd's album, the "Dark Side of the Moon."Dadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17257598218959429347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-1037200057259224282008-08-10T19:16:00.001-06:002008-08-10T19:16:00.001-06:00Ah well now, that's what you have an "office nurse...Ah well now, that's what you have an "office nurse" for (if you're lucky!)Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14788733654505792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-50756673269393463912008-08-10T19:16:00.000-06:002008-08-10T19:16:00.000-06:00All of you make the great point that is also known...All of you make the great point that is also known (but not mentioned by me in this particular post), and that is that BPs taken by patients at home are an accurate reflection of average blood pressure. My frustration on that count is that many people don't check their BPs out of my office ("I feel good so my BP must be good") so we are left working solely with in-office values to gauge BP control. Best of all are BP readings taken by a 24 hr. ambulatory monitor; expensive, bothersome, but best of all.<BR/><BR/>White coat hypertension has been shown to confer intermediate risk on those who display it, somewhere between uniformly perfect BP (even when your GI specialist is going to stick a tube somewhere!) and consistently high BP.<BR/><BR/>Oh dear, Anon, I felt that. I am sorry that my front office is annoying you. They sometimes take policy and run with it, trampling our patients/customers in their zeal to enforce the rules. Let me know if there is something I should know about in particular.denverdochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09574453567392165275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-6879085307228186762008-08-10T18:22:00.000-06:002008-08-10T18:22:00.000-06:00And maybe, "Why don't you get your front office to...And maybe, "Why don't you get your front office to quit annoying the patient so his/her BP goes up/"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-51682935362765903722008-08-10T14:11:00.000-06:002008-08-10T14:11:00.000-06:00Before I really *DID* have hypertention (even at h...Before I really *DID* have hypertention (even at home, in various situations) ..the only place I EVER had it ... was in my GI's office.<BR/><BR/>There .. it would be SKY high. He would get really upset that my doctor wasn't treating my hypertention. My blood pressure in his office was inevitably ..very high. Not just slightly elevated, but very high. Finally, he called my doctor to ask her if he could start me on something for my high blood pressure and she said "my goodness no! She has low blood pressure!" <BR/>(I tried to tell him that!)<BR/><BR/>He came back in, and said "What's the deal?" <BR/><BR/>I told him ... I come to you ...and you want to stick camera's where they don't belong ... I'm terrified of you!<BR/><BR/>(incidently ..had to see him 2 weeks ago ..and yep ... EGD scheduled for September. Just can't win with this guy and he wonders why my B/P soars)Dreaming againhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15717590226520457326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-53245248131894119092008-08-10T08:12:00.000-06:002008-08-10T08:12:00.000-06:00Don't get me started on BP. It often follows imme...Don't get me started on BP. It often follows immediately after being weighed with your shoes on--and is frequently followed by no comment even if it is borderline--which it often is for those of us with white coat syndrome.Reality Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130725304871262592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-4247149410621278962008-08-09T22:09:00.000-06:002008-08-09T22:09:00.000-06:00That is a very good point that I've wondered mysel...That is a very good point that I've wondered myself. If one's blood pressure is skyrocketing every time one rushes from one place to another, or gets annoyed about something at work, surely that is a better real-world measure of one's blood pressure.<BR/><BR/>I always wondered why people discount "white coat hypertension" by saying "Oh, it just happens because he or she is in the doctor's office, they should measure it at home." But to me, if the stress of going to the doctor makes their BP go up, then so do a lot of other stressors in their lives and to me that should be a concern for that person.Mauigirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529827915262851910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-32387312327325678962008-08-09T22:00:00.000-06:002008-08-09T22:00:00.000-06:00That doesn't seem plausible at all. What about peo...That doesn't seem plausible at all. What about people who have to take their BP 3-4 times a day?kenjuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342414519714356343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-59777571149011517972008-08-09T21:09:00.000-06:002008-08-09T21:09:00.000-06:00This drives me crazy! When I am at home, I follow...This drives me crazy! When I am at home, I follow the directions that came with my Omron monitor, and I sit quietly for 10 minutes before taking a reading. (I even special-ordered the larger cuff to increase accuracy!) My BP is always normal or below.<BR/><BR/>But at the doctor's office, I'm nervous enough as it is, and the nurses tend to take my BP first thing-- right after they weigh me! My BP then is usually high-normal then. <BR/><BR/>Glad it's not just me that has this problem!<BR/><BR/>Laura :):)Laura in L.A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09799362516871105837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31176359.post-25392347825822994992008-08-09T20:23:00.000-06:002008-08-09T20:23:00.000-06:00I agree with you. I usually am sitting with my ar...I agree with you. I usually am sitting with my arm at the level of my heart, but it certainly isn't at a resting rate...sometimes they have to find a big cuff, because, well, my arms are a bit on the heavy side.<BR/><BR/><BR/>But as you say, how many of us are generally resting? Not so much.Beverlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269872465115056916noreply@blogger.com