BP

layers from innermost to outermost:

Tunica Intima
Tunica Media
Tunica

Adventitia

it has left the heart?

Blood pressure is the pressure

exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels.

Blood pressure values are universally stated in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).

The systolic pressure is defined as the peak pressure in the arteries during the cardiac cycle;

The diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure (at the resting phase of the cardiac cycle).

approximately 120 mmHg systolic and 80mm Hg diastolic (written as

120/80 mmHg), with individual variations.

These measures of blood pressure are not static, but undergo natural variations from one heartbeat to another, and throughout the day they also change in response to stress, nutritional factors, drugs, or disease.

the blood flows from the arterial to the venous side

of the circulation, it meets resistance because of the smaller caliber of the vessels and the viscous nature of the blood. This is called the peripheral resistance.

It is an important factor in generating and maintaining the arterial blood pressure.

Vasoconstriction of the small vessels increases the peripheral resistance, which in turn elevates the arterial blood pressure. Whilst vasodilatation decreases the resistance and lowers the pressure

eating, drinking, smoking and taking drugs that affect the blood

pressure one hour before measurement.

Instruct your patients to avoid coffee, smoking or any other un prescribed drug on the day of the measurement

Because a full bladder affects the blood pressure it should have been emptied.

Painful procedures and exercise should not have occurred within one hour.

Patient should have been sitting quietly for about 5 minutes.

BP take in quiet room and comfortable temperature, must record room temperature and time of day.

disease
• Renal disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Circulatory shock (hypovolemic, septic, cardiogenic,

or neurogenic)
• Acute or chronic pain
• Rapid intravenous (IV) infusion of fluids or blood products
• Increased intracranial pressure
• Postoperative status
• Toxemia of pregnancy

at risk for high blood pressure (HBP), assess for headache

(usually occipital), flushing of face, nosebleed, and fatigue in older adults.

Hypotension is associated with dizziness; mental confusion; restlessness; pale, dusky, or cyanotic skin and mucous membranes; cool, mottled skin over extremities.

Physical signs and symptoms indicate alterations in blood pressure.

Hypertension is often asymptomatic until pressure is very high.

to extremity when IV fluids are infusing,
an arteriovenous shunt

or fistula is present, or breast or axillary surgery has been performed on that side.

In addition, avoid applying cuff to extremity that has been traumatized or diseased
or requires a cast or bulky bandage.

Use lower extremities when brachial arteries are inaccessible.

Level” or MIL.

Many will not have heard of this

recommended step.

But the clinical person feels for the radial pulse and then inflates the cuff while continuously feeling for the radial pulse.

The point at which the pulse disappears approximates the systolic BP. Then allow the cuff to deflate, wait seconds and re-inflated to a point that is mmHg above the estimated systolic blood pressure and take the BP accordingly.

This allows the clinician to know “how high to go” which may make the procedure more comfortable for patients.

or more continuous sounds are heard.

Diastolic BP: recorded at

the disappearance of sound (also called the onset of silence), not at the last sound.
Subtract 2mmHg from the last sound you hear. (e.g. if the last sound is at 80mmHg, the diastolic BP is 78mmHg!)
Read to the nearest even number. If the reading falls between two numbers, read the number above.

For example, if the last sound is heard at “90”, then the diastolic blood pressure is recorded as "88”.