Bp Reading

[Bazile]

As you know , when you have a blood pressure test , the 'band' bit wraps around your upper arm , i.e. between your elbow and shoulder joint area .

What if you had a blood pressure test with the band placed in the area between your wrist and elbow - would that reading be just as accurate ?

[queenofmean]

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I had BP taken not long ago and they didn't use a Band, it was done on the wrist. It was so much more pleasant and it was accurate.

[Mamyalynne]

Have a read here...


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10225644

[Sqad]

// would that reading be just as accurate ?//

No, the reading in the lower arm would be higher.

[queenofmean]

Mine was normal Sqad, but would that be down to it not being the band method and being a more up to date BP measuring instrument?

[Sqad]

queenie...who knows? I wouldn't be happy to accept a BP reading unless it was around the upper arm.

[Cloverjo]

I've got a home BP reader, and you put it on your wrist to take the measurement. I don't know how accurate it is.

[queenofmean]

I guess, from a comfort side it was more pleasant, but I can understand why you'd prefer the band. I hate it but I do like the wee buzzing thing it does when it puffs up.

[Jackdaw33]

Always upper arm for me. It's a long time since I had one off the wrist!

[Peter Pedant]

yes boys and girls and along with mama's ref
the upper arm b p is lower than the forearm

first established truly when arterial lines were introduced in the late sixties and seventies - the further downstream you go the higher the blood pressure ( yes I have got it the right way round )

and they used to talk about a whiplash effect travelling down the arterial wall to explaiin it ....

blood pressure ( mmHg or lb/sqin is very badly corre;ated with blood flow ( mls/min )

[Fitzer]

Wrist BP monitors normally state that the monitor should be level with the heart when used, so with the elbow propped on something and the arm bent. I believed that this is why the upper arm was always used as that is already at heart level but I have no medical evidence for this.

[woofgang]

When DH had a port in one side and a fistula in the other arm, his BP was done on his leg....we were told it doesn’t matter so long as the staff know, record where it was done and always do the same.

[Bazile]

I was put on a 'long period ' blood pressure check .

When i was dressing this morning the band slipped down to between the wrist and elbow after which the machine took a reading in that position .

However i assume that just the 1 reading in that position won't have a significant effect on the test ?

[Sqad]

No, that will be regarded as a "one off".....ignored. The important feature will be the "bigger picture."

[douglas9401]

Cloverjo, could I suggest that you take your machine along with you for your next appointment at the surgery and compare your reading with their one?
This was recommended to me when I bought an ordinary cuff machine, just to check accuracy and avoid any worry about differing readings.

[Bazile]

Obviously the machine was programmed to automatically take readings throughout the day/night .,while i was attached to it

However it did not appear to be taking the readings at regular intervals .
Would that matter ?