Blood Pressure Flashcards
The higher the BP, the greater the chance of:
A. Myocardial infarction B. Cerebral vascular attack C. Heart failure D. Kidney disease E. All of the above
E. All of the above
Hypertension is also known as the “____”. Why?
“Silent killer” due to few symptoms
Characterized by severe headaches, nausea or vomiting, confusion, changes in vision, and nosebleeds
Severe acute hypertension
What are the risk factors for elevated blood pressure?
Age, race, weight, family history
Variables affecting BP
- Diet/exercise
- Anxiety/stress
- Posture
- Diurnal variation
- Bladder distension
- Tobacco
What is essential hypertension?
When the cause is unknown. This is the majority of HTN incidence: 90-95%
When taking blood pressure, how many measurements should you take and how long between the measurements should you wait?
Take 2 blood pressure measurements at least 2 minutes apart
Which reading is the more important finding related to stroke & heart attack?
The systolic reading
What is normal BP?
Systolic: <120
AND
Diastolic: <80
What is elevated BP?
Systolic: 120 - 129
AND
Diastolic: <80
What blood pressures would classify stage 1 hypertension?
Systolic: 130 - 139
OR
Diastolic: 80 - 89
What blood pressures would classify stage 2 hypertension?
Systolic: > or equal to 140 OR
Diastolic: > or equal to 90
How would you categorize the following BP measurement: 122/79?
Systolic is between 120 - 129, which is considered elevated. Diastolic is 79 which is considered normal.
BP is elevated.
How would you categorize the following BP measurement: 116/86?
Systolic is < 120 which is normal. Diastolic is between 80 - 90.
BP is stage 1 hypertension.
True or false:
Individuals with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in 2 categories should be designated to the higher BP category.
True
Not all BPs that are elevated are bad.
Give an example of when the above is true.
People who have had a stroke. We want them to have good oxygen getting to their brain (i.e., good perfusion), and an elevated BP does that.
What are the two branches of Hypertensive Crisis?
- Hypertensive urgencies
2. Hypertensive emergencies
What distinguishes a hypertensive urgency from a hypertensive emergency?
In hypertensive emergencies, associated signs or symptoms of target organ damage (TOD) is present.
What characterizes hypertensive urgencies?
Upper level of stage II HTN (>180/120) and ABSENCE of TOD
What characterizes hypertensive emergencies?
Upper level of stage II HTN (>180/120) and PRESENCE of TOD
Provide examples of target organ damage (TOD)
a. Acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
b. Acute myocardial infarction
c. Acute heart failure
d. Acute renal failure
e. Papilledema
f. Cotton wool spots, hemorrhages, exudates
g. ***Vitreous hemorrhage
What is papilledema?
The swelling of the optic nerve due to pressure build up in the head.
If a patient answers “yes” to experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, disorientation OR if you see papilledema, what is this considered?
Hypertension emergency. The patient is at imminent risk of a heart attack.
You are seeing a patient and their BP reading is >180/110 mmHg.
What type of HTN is this considered and what treatment timeline do you provide?
Systolic equal to or greater than 140 OR diastolic equal to or > 90 is considered stage 2 hypertension (severe HTN).
The treatment timeline would be see PCP to get BP under control within 3 to 7 days.
