68th Scientific Sessions
Abstract Form
Medical Research
Nursing Research
November 13-16, 1995
Anaheim Converntion Center
Anaheim California
Potential Overdiagnosis of Hypertension With Less Than
Six Consecutive Blood Pressure Measurements
Mark Goodman, Alberto R. Yataco, Dina Darwish,
The Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Two to three consecutive blood pressure measurements (BPM)
have been suggested to obtain a resting baseline blood pressure
(BP). We studied medical residents to evaluate the efficacy
of multiple consecutive BPM to overcome the startle/reactivity
response and behaviorally “habituate” the patient
to a novel, aversive, constricting stimulus associated with
obtaining BPM. An automated oscillometric digital Dinamap monitor
was used to record systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic
blood pressure (DBP), in 34 normotensive medical residents (18
males, 16 females, age 30.02±3.3) to avoid the “white-coat
hypertension” phenomenon. BP was recorded six times at
90 second intervals with the subjects seated, back and arm supported
with the BP cuff at the level of the heart. We found that the
change in mean SBP over the first three consecutive readings
was significantly different (p<=.01). There were no significant
differences noted again until the sixth and final reading of
mean SBP. DBP revealed no significant differences by MANOVA
when comparing across the six observations. This rapid methodology
would potentially reduce overdiagnosis and treatment of systolic
hypertension.
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