Question

Vital Signs: Blood Pressure
a. What is blood pressure? What is the purpose of assessing blood pressure?
b. What is the standard unit for measuring blood pressure? What is the difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure?
c. Various factors can affect blood pressure. Some of these are listed below. Discuss the differences with each of these factors.
i) age example: BP is lower in children than in adults.
ii) gender
iii) race
iv) diurnal rhythm
v) weight
vi) exercise
vii) emotion
viii) stress

d. Identify situations when a blood pressure would not be measured on a client’s arm or leg.
e. State the rationale for the following nursing actions:

i) place client’s arm at heart level, palm up
ii) palpate the brachial artery. Position cuff 2.5 cm above the brachial pulse. Center cuff above artery
iii) after inflating the cuff to find point at which brachial pulse disappears, wait 30vseconds before re-inflating the cuff
iv) inflate cuff to 30 mm Hg above palpated systolic pressure

f. Discuss some common errors in blood pressure readings; for each factor, identify the effect on blood pressure reading and the rationale.
g. What is auscultatory gap?
h. When might you, as a nurse, decide to take blood pressure on the client’s thigh? How do
blood pressure readings taken on the thigh vary from those taken on the arm?
i. What is “white coat hypertension?”
j. Define the following terms: systolic pressure; diastolic pressure; pulse pressure; Korotkoff’s sounds; antecubital space; hypotension, hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, postural
hypotension.

Answer 1

Answer: Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the veins and arteries. The purpose of assesing blood pressure is to know the abnormalities in the blood pressure such as hypertension or hypotension.

The standard unit for the measurement of the blood pressure is mmHg. The major differences between systolic and diastolic pressure is that when the heart is at relax position, the chamber of heart fills with blood hence the blood pressure is lower and known as diastolic pressure whereas when heart pump the blood, the pressure increases known as systolic blood pressure.

Gender: males have higher blood pressure as compared to the women.

Race: African Americans have higher rate of blood pressure.

diurnal rhythm: There is high blood pressure.