Blood Pressure Flashcards
what is being measured with blood pressure
the arterial wall force
what are the 4 factors that determine blood pressure readings
the force of the blood pumped, amount of blood pumped, size of arteries, and flexibility of arteries
how much can the reading vary from right to left arm
as much as 5mmHg
what are 5 reasons to screen BP in clinic
compliance, reinforce importance of compliance, silent disease, may see effect in vision or retina, and drugs prescribed may increase BP
what is hypertensive retinopathy
a manifestation of the disease in the eye
what are 4 potential findings on the retina from BP
retinal arteries may narrow and constrict, hemorrhages and exudates, local hypoxia= cotton wool spots, and papilledema
what are 6 other conditions that BP can cause in the eye
sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, retinal vein occlusion, retinal artery occlusion, retinal artery macroaneurysms, oculomotor palsies, and exudative retinal detachments
what 2 diseases can hyper or hypotension cause
OAG (open angle glaucoma) and amaurosis fugax
what are 2 types of hypertension
essential hypertension and secondary hypertension
what is essential hypertension
no identifiable underlying cause
what is secondary hypertension
pre-eclampsia, pheochromocytoma, kidney disease, or adrenal disease
what does the JNC 7 consider normal BP
less than 120/80
what does the JNC 7 consider pre-hypertensive BP
120-139/80-90
what does the JNC 7 consider stage 1 hypertension
140-159/90-99
what does the JNC 7 consider stage 2 hypertension
> 160/>99
what is malignant hypertension
extremely high blood pressure
what are the findings in malignant hypertension
all the findings of hypertensive retinopathy plus swollen optic nerve head (occipital headaches)
what is pre-eclampsia/eclampsia hypertensive retinopathy
20 weeks gestation, all findings of malignant hypertension, at risk for cortical blindness and occipital lobe infarction
when do you refer patients with blood pressure
when symptoms (chest pain, headache, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, diastolic over 110/120) call 911
how wide is a sphygmanometer
12-14cm wide
what is a stethoscope used for
to listen to the sound of the blood in the brachial artery after first compressing it completely and then letting it flow
when should a BP be taken
after 5 minutes of rest and 30 minutes after exercise/caffeine/smoking
how do you estimate the systolic pressure
palpate radial artery, inflate cuff 30mmHg above where pulse disappears, deflate 2-3mmHg until pulse returns
what are the 5 phases of the Korotkoff sounds
- soft tapping (systolic reading)
- swishing murmur
- crisper sound
- abrupt sound muffling
- disappearance of sound (diastolic reading)
