Correct blood pressure measurement

The blood pressure measurement is the supporting pier for the diagnosis, the management and the therapy of the arterial hypertension. Measurements under domiciliary conditions (alone measurement), during the normal everyday activities and in the night sleep (ambulatory 24 hour blood pressure measurement, ABDM, LZ-RR measurement) and the measurement during ergometry achievement (load ECG with blood pressure measurements) to important and indispensable additional measuring methods develop besides the indirect measuring of the blood pressure by the physician ("opportunity measurement" or "doctor's office measurement") have himself. It is desirable, that the blood pressure self measurement or ambulatory 24 hydrogen blood pressure measurement the opportunity measurement through is completed. Blood pressure values standardized, ergometry loads can useful prognostic and therapeutic addition informations deliver frequently lifted up in the context of other questions, such as KHK diagnostics, under.

Choice of the gauge

Very few of the apparatuses offered on the market was subjected to an independent clinical testing process and only few apparatuses fulfill the necessary accuracy criterions only? The EU therefore recommends that the apparatuses should be subjected to an internationally established validity protocol:
  • Examining seal of the hypertension league
  • International Validation Protocol of the European Society of Hypertension
  • Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
  • British Hypertension Society (BHS)
A composition of apparatuses which are clinically checked and recommended is at -- - found examining seal of the hypertension league on the Internet.

The purely mechanical apparatuses which were inflated by hand and which the Korotkoff murmurs had to be heard of the patient about a stethoscope trained in the cuff (method after Riva-Rocci) were taken off gradually. Instead blood pressure systolic, which storage heart rate became oscillometric measuring full machines and at the touch of a button after an automatic pressure a pre-certain cuff pressure is produced desist and diastolic and digital shown be and possible are. Apparatuses have to be preferred for the measurement at the upper arm since the pulse wave changes due to physiologic changes at the wrist and finger and gets increasingly variable. Furthermore cuff has to be taken into account, that the test point often isn't at wrist and finger apparatuses on heart height and therefore under (too high) or overestimations (cuff too deep) result. Finger apparatuses are in principle warning. Some few wrist apparatuses have passed clinical accuracy testings and offer partly sensible, extended options (pool possibility, position sensor.)

Right arm position, which arm

The test point should be fundamental on heart height. If a blood difference in pressure lasts at sequential measurements at the two arms, then differences should be measured in terms of the arm with the higher blood pressure from this time on and 20/10 at > an examination the blood flow situation the extremities be carried out mmHg. The blood pressure should be found out in a sedentary position considering the right arm position (s.o).

Choice of the correct blood pressure cuff

The difficulties of the blood pressure measurement get bigger and bigger at an increasing adiposis in the industrial nations at adiposis. The most frequent error in the choice of the right blood pressure cuff particularly at adiposis is the so-called "Undercuffing", i.e. the blood pressure cuff (inflatable rubber part) upper arm is, related to the circumference, to small voted. An overestimation of the actual blood pressure results up to 30 mmHg from it, (i.e. higher values are measured in terms of when actual are available). If the blood pressure cuff related to the upper arm is chosen too greatly ("Overcuffing"), an underestimation of the actual blood pressure results with an error of up to 10-30 mmHg, (i.e. lower values are measured in terms of when actual are available). This one for the opportunity measurement by the physician and from the manufacturer as a rule differently big blood pressure cuffs are into dependence also for the self measurement ambulatory 24 hydrogen blood pressure measurement the arm, of diameter offered. The following cuffs (inflatable part of the rubber cuff, margin x length) are recommended into dependence of the upper arm circumference:

Less than 24 cm: 10x18 cm 24-32 cm: 12-13x24 cm
33-41 cm: 15x30 cm
More than 41 cm: 18x36 cm

Patient instruction

Patients which shall measure their blood pressure at home themselves should receive a detailed introduction to the measuring technique, hypertension training program structured in the context of one best. The success should at least be checked sometime is after 2-3 weeks as well as after 6-12 months. Repetition frequent errors are a false positioning of cuff or microphone, a too quick pressure desist from the cuff, after-pumps or to quick measuring. Regarding the measuring technique the same recommendations are valid as in the case of the practice measurement. A check of apparatus and measuring technique recommends themselves in longer, e.g. annual distances by the looking physician or his helper. The patient should at least measure the blood pressure minimumly in the morning and in the evening and document the values in the initial phase of the care. An exact assignment of the blood pressure changes to changes of the therapy, physical and psychic loads, body weight, common table salt supply and others is influence sizes possible only in such a way. Since the blood pressure is subjected to strong diurnal but also seasonal fluctuations, it is important to fix a uniform measurements record.

The measurements should hydrogen as well as hydrogen be carried out respectively of blood pressure lowering medicines between 18.00 and 21.00 in the evening before the meal and in front of the intake in the morning between 6.00 and 9.00. Decisively for the judgement of the heaviness degree, the mean average value is out from at least 12 measurements, of approx. these over a time period lifted up week one was. At the beginning of a blood pressure lowering therapy the measurements should be carried out minimumly. Stable and normal blood pressure values are reached under therapy, it suffices if carried out mornings in front of the medicine intake on a day per week 2 measurements each in the evening and 2 measurements at this be. Of self measurements is for anxious and hypochondriacal patients which tend too often to measure the blood pressure and to give single values a too big importance warn.


These informations may be considered a substitute for a piece of medical advice in no case. The content of health-illness.com doesn't can and may be put into any case to make diagnoses or carry out self medical treatment independently.


Diese Informationen dürfen auf keinen Fall als Ersatz für ärztliche Beratung angesehen werden. Der Inhalt von medhost.de kann und darf auf keinen Fall verwendet werden, um eigenständig Diagnosen zu stellen oder Selbstbehandlung durchzuführen.

Medhost ¦ Startseite - Newsletter - Impressum - Disclaimer - Kontakt - Sprache ¦ Deutsch - English
1999 - 2007 Copyright Promeus AG, Alle Rechte vorbehalten