Indirect blood pressure measurement: a need to reassess.
BACKGROUND
Indirect blood pressure measurement is the assessment tool used most frequently in epidemiological studies and hypertension management in the population at large.


OBJECTIVE
To review indirect blood pressure measurement within the context of nursing practice.


RESULTS
Nurses are not following recommended American Heart Association measurement guidelines.


CONCLUSIONS
A national program of certification in indirect blood pressure measurement, similar to that of basic and advanced cardiac life support, is needed. An initial approach to evaluating present practice is also suggested.
Anderson
F D
FD
Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Augusta, Ga.
Cunningham
S G
SG
Maloney
J P
JP
D000572:American Heart Association; D001314:Auscultation; D015982:Bias; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002568:Certification; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003479:Curriculum; D004506:Education, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D015203:Reproducibility of Results