Blood pressure Flashcards
What is blood pressure?
Where the heart/ ventricle contracts, known as a systole.
The blood leaves the heart under high pressure, the lumen of the artery increases with the increased flow of blood or increased blood pressure and the walls of the artery stretch of expand preventing pressure from increasing in artery beyond the normal healthy systolic range.
What is used to measure blood pressure and how?
A sphygmomanometer can be used to monitor blood pressure.
- The cuff should be wrapped around the patients upper arm level with the heart
- inflate the cuff by squeezing the hand pump
- the blood pressure in the artery will stop
- release the air slowly back into the cuff until the blood flows through the artery
- the cuff pressure at this point is diastolic blood pressure which is recorded and measured in mmHg
What is an invasive way to measure blood pressure?
sensor inserted directly into the vein through a catheter
What is a non-invasive way to measure blood pressure
an inflatable cuff, stethoscope or sphygmomanometer
What are the disadvantages of using a non-invasive technique to measure blood pressure?
- less accurate as it is not in direct contact with blood
- less precise as it is open to human error
- time consuming to monitor blood pressure over time
What are the advantages of using a non-invasive technique to measure blood pressure?
- less chance of infection as no incision is needed
- less stressful for the patient therefore less likely to give a false reading due to stress
What are the normal blood pressures for males?
18 year old: 120/80mmHg
20 year old: 125/80mmHg
40 year old: 135/85mmHg
What are the normal blood pressures for women?
20 year old: 123/80mmHg
40 year old: 133/85mmHg
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
- headache
- fatigue
- confusion
What are the symptoms of low blood pressure?
- dizziness/ light-headedness
- fainting
- blurred vision
