ALLPAPS WELLNESS TIP!

September 9, 2006
 
Did you know that when assessing blood pressure, miscuffing is the most common error?
 
A reminder when you monitor your patients' blood pressures-
 
Miscuffing includes
· Not using the correct size blood pressure cuff
· Not placing the blood pressure cuff correctly
· Not having the arm/wrist in the proper position
 
With the high incidence of obesity-it is important to have the correct size cuff in your office, which may include a wrist cuff.
 
The American Heart Association recommends
"Wrist monitors have the advantages of being smaller than the arm devices and can be used in obese people, because the wrist diameter is little affected by obesity."
 
For more information see:
The American Heart Association Scientific Statement
Recommendations for Blood Pressure Measurement in Humans and Experimental Animals.
Part 1
http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/45/1/142