Make sure they take your bp correctly! - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

joe86 · 02-10-2009, 08:48 AM

I just answered a post by someone asking if it was okay for a doctor to take his bp over a sleeve. No it's not and I think that this, along with a shocking report I read recently, is important enough to post for everyone.

A study at the UCSD medical school hospital showed that 73% of health care workers used incorrect arm or cuff positions when taking blood pressure. The really scary thing is that the same study shows that these errors can cause readings to be up to 10% higher!

How would you like to end up taking drugs because your doctor was too lazy to wait for you to bare your arm or to pay attention to correct procedures?

We often think an occasional doctor's visit can confirm our home bp readings... but maybe we it's the other way around!

famnd · 02-10-2009, 12:44 PM

I read a report in a medical journal (can't remember which one) recently which said 70% of HBP patients have increased b/p at the DR's. Fam

flowergirl2day · 02-10-2009, 09:26 PM

Some doctors label patients as hypertensive based on only one office blood pressure reading. That is really scary.
They often ask patients questions while taking the blood pressure measurement. That is wrong. No conversation should be taking place as it can affect the reading. While the technique used might be correct, if the cuff isn't the right size, the blood pressure reading will be overestimated or underestimated. If too small a cuff is used, blood pressure can be overestimated by as much as 20mmHg. This is why some doctors (including one of mine) use a measuring tape to check the arm's circumference before selecting an appropriately sized cuff. A good fit is imperative for an accurate blood pressure measurement.
Many doctors are too rushed to take the blood pressure measurement correctly. That is unfortunate because quite often important decisions are made based on those readings.