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Published on: May 3, 2018
Use of evidence in hypertension guidelines: should we measure in both arms?
1Department of Primary Health Care, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Oxford, UK.
Abstract:
For at least 25 years, hypertension guidelines have suggested measuring blood pressure in both arms, but GPs' acceptance of this is low. Current and past versions of major guidelines were identified to review and assess the degree to which they provided justification, evidence, and a description of dual-arm measurement techniques. It is suggested that if guidelines better justified recommendations and cited primary literature to support claims, a greater percentage of practitioners might accept and adhere to such guidance.
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Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
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Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(two-step method)
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
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