WEEK 1 Flashcards
What is a normal blood pressure?
Normal: Less than 120/80 mm Hg
What is elevated blood pressure?
Elevated: Systolic between 120-129 and diastolic less than 80
What is considered Stage 1 hypertension?
Systolic between 130-139 or diastolic between 80-89
What is considered Stage 2 hypertension?
Systolic at least 140 or diastolic at least 90 mm Hg
What is considered hypertensive crisis (sudden/ severe increase in BP) ?
- Systolic over 180 and/or diastolic over 120
- With patients needing prompt
changes in medication if there are no other indications of problems, or immediate
hospitalization if there are signs of organ damage
What is the systolic reading?
How much pressure is pushing on your blood vessel walls as your heart contracts and pumps out blood to your body.
What is your diastolic reading?
The pressure on your blood vessel walls when your heart relaxes between contractions.
What can affect a blood pressure reading?
- Exercise
- Meals
- Bathroom: full bladder can give you an elevated reading
- Alcohol, Caffeine, Tobacco
- Cuff size
- Clothing: don’t put cuffs over clothing
- Temperature: if you’re cold you might get a higher reading than expected
- Position
- Stress
- Talking
- Age
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- Daily variation
- Medications
How should a patient be positioned when obtaining blood pressure?
o Should be seated with back and arms supported
o Feet on floor uncrossed
o Arm at heart level
o If laying- arm at heart level
NOTE: Patient should be in a seated position for at least 5 minutes for most accurate measurement
Why would you NOT use a particular limb to obtain blood pressure?
o Trauma
o Casted or bandaged
o Blood cot
o Lymph nodes removed (radical mastectomy)
o Presence of fistula (used for hemodialysis in renal failure)
Is the blood pressure measured in the leg higher or lower than in the arm?
Normally higher (lower could signal Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
Where is the stethoscope placed when obtaining blood pressure in the arm? Where is the cuff
placed?
1)- Locate the brachial or radial artery as appropriate and place the stethoscope’s diaphragm over it below the bottom of the cuff.
- Do not let the chest piece touch the
cuff or clothing.
- Do not place the diaphragm under the cuff or place excessive pressure
on the stethoscope head
2) Position the cuff in the antecubital space. Apply the cuff above the artery by centering
the arrows marked on the cuff over the artery so that the end of the cuff is 2 to 3 cm
above the antecubital fossa to allow room for placement of the stethoscope.
Why is blood pressure sometimes measured by the 2-step method?
To establish the patient’s baseline blood pressure- inflating the cuff too tight or many times
because you didn’t inflate enough the first time can lead to inaccurate readings
What is Hypertension?
Blood pressure that is higher than normal
- More common than hypotension
- Thickening of walls
- Loss of elasticity
- Family history
- Risk Factors
What is Hypotension?
Low blood pressure
- Dilation of arteries
- Loss of blood volume
- Decrease of blood flow to vital organs
- Orthostatic/postural
So what does blood pressure determine?
Determines if a patient has hypotension, hypertension, or orthostatic hypotension which can be defining characteristics of the following diagnoses
- Activity Intolerance
- Anxiety
- Decreased cardiac Output
- Risk for Injury
- Acute Pain
- Ineffective Peripheral Tissue Perfusion
What is a normal temperature reading in degrees Fahrenheit and Celcius?
Normal: 96.8 F (36C) to 99F (37.2C)
What is considered a fever?
100.4 F or 38 C
Temperature sites for patients?
- Oral
- Rectal( most accurate, used for babies)
- Axillary
- Tympanic Membrane
- Temporal Artery
- Esophageal
- Pulmonary artery