The cardiology exams

AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING

The blood pressure (B.P.) can be monitored for 24 hours with an automatic device. As a rule, this device takes the B.P. every 15 minutes in the day and every 30 minutes at night, knowing that these intervals can be adjusted differently.

In order to guarantee the good quality of the measures, it is indispensable to respect some rules while achieving a 24 hours B.P. ambulatory monitoring: this exam must be achieved in an active person, out of any stoppage and especially not in the weekend.

In order to correlate the rises or the falls of B.P., a journal of activity must be given by the physician and filled by the subject with HBP. Besides, the physician or the technician who places the device must clearly explain to his patient that it is possible at any moment to activate a measure of the B.P. by pressing a button to that end.

B.P. automatic monitoring equipment at home, for 24 hours.

Placing the B.P. monitoring equipment for 24 hours.

This measure is applied in several cases:

- Either a person presents a limit HBP at the time of the consultation at the physician’s, and he/she wants to give the proof of this HBP (elimination of a “white coat” HBP);

- Either a patient is already treated for HBP and the physician wants to value the efficacy of the treatment all day and all night long;

- Either a patient treated feels dizzy, and the recording of the 24 hours B.P. then permits to search for a blood hypotension.

On the other hand, this exam is not interesting when the HBP is obvious at the time of the visit at the physician’s.

The results appear as indicated below, in tabular, diagrams, and day and night averages form.

The level of B.P. from which a HBP is defined is 135/85 millimetres mercury (13.5/8.5) for the day period and 125/75 millimetres mercury (12.5/7.5) for the night period. Currently, the value of 130/80 mmHg on the 24 hours period must be taken as a reference.

It is also very important to note down the variation of the B.P. between the day and the night period. Normally, the B.P. is lower during the night period compared to the day period, and this variation must be equal to at least 10%. But sometimes, this cycle is not respected, which reveals the severity of the HBP or the existence of an illness.

File last reviewed on dec 18, 2011