Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Do you take blood pressure in both arms?
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Do you take blood pressure in both arms?
posted at 30/1/2012 10:56 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 116
First: 14/9/2010 Last: 7/2/2012 |
I know we were taught to take the bp in both arms at medical school but do you do it routinely? Newspapers have been reporting a Lancet paper that says differences in bp between arms of 15mmHg or mnore indicate an increased risk of the patient having peripheral vascular disease and of dying from CVD.. The paper is a meta analysis that included20 studies, most involving patients at high cardiovascular risk. Overall, a between-arm difference in systolic BP of 10–15 mm Hg or more was associated with an increased likelihood of peripheral vascular disease (risk ratio, nearly 2.5). A difference of 15 mm Hg or more was also associated with a heightened likelihood of cerebrovascular disease and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)61710-8/fulltext The meta analysis has been criticised for having limitations such as many studies were cross-sectiona., The authors say that measuring the bp in both arms and noting any differences "should become part of routine care, as opposed to a guideline recommendation that is mostly ignored.". |
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Re: Do you take blood pressure in both arms?
posted at 31/1/2012 9:11 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2
First: 6/4/2011 Last: 31/1/2012 |
Yes definitely It is very important to take the blood pressure in both arms as rightly pointed the reasons. I also look for the carotid bruit and renal bruit and look for thyroid enlargement and signs and symptoms related to THYROID.
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Re: Do you take blood pressure in both arms?
posted at 31/1/2012 1:47 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 152
First: 17/12/2011 Last: 20/5/2012 |
No not usually. Busy General Practice. Normally patients right arm , and rt arm when lying down. I sometime do both arms , Time is always a constraint. If I took all my patients BP in both arms I would run even later that I already do! |
Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Do you take blood pressure in both arms?
