Definition of "Blood pressure"
Last modified: over 2 years
Blood is contained in vessels, it's moving, and it's a fluid. It keeps moving because it needs to carry oxygen throughout the body. So it's the pressure of blood against it's walls. It's pumping is strongest immediately after blood pumps out of the heart, and is the weakest when it returns to the heart.
You measure it in the upper arm, specifically, at the brachial artery.
Blood pressure is pressure of arterial blood against the vessel wall. Mainly caused by the pumping action of the heart, and thus decreases further away from the heart.
Patient information
What is blood pressure? It's the pressure of blood, but isn't this contained in the blood vessel?Blood is contained in vessels, it's moving, and it's a fluid. It keeps moving because it needs to carry oxygen throughout the body. So it's the pressure of blood against it's walls. It's pumping is strongest immediately after blood pumps out of the heart, and is the weakest when it returns to the heart.
Method
- Measured at a person's upper arm, specifically, at the brachial artery
Patient information
How do you measure the pressure of blood?You measure it in the upper arm, specifically, at the brachial artery.
What is the brachial artery?
It's the major blood vessel of the upper arm, it continues from the axillary artery, and continues down the inside part of the arm, until it reaches the cubital fossa at the elbow. There, it divides into the radial and ulnar arteries, which can be found in the inner and outer portions of the arm, respectively.
Classification
Measurement involves:
- Diastolic, the minimum pressure, which should be 60-80 in adults
- Systolic, the maximum pressure, which should be 90-120 in adults
Reference ranges include:
| Age | Systolic | Diastolic |
| Infants 0-1yo | 75-100 | 50-70 |
| Toddlers and preschoolers 1-5yo | 80-110 | 50-80 |
| School age 6-12yo | 85-120 | 50-80 |
| Adolescents 13-18yo | 95-140 | 60-90 |
Pathology
- Hypotension is a BP< normal. Severe hypotension can deprive organs of oxygen and nutrients, causing life threatening circulatory shock
- Hypertension (HTN) is a BP> normal
Doppler systolic to diastolic ratio
- Doppler systolic to diastolic ratio (Doppler SD) measures blood flow from maternal circulation, to the placenta
See also
- Hypotension
- Hypertension (HTN)
- Antihypertensive (Tx)
Synonyms:
Blood pressure cuff
BP
BP cuff
Cuff
dBP
Diastolic
Doppler SD
Doppler systolic to diastolic ratio
mm mercury
mmhg
sBP
Systolic
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Amanda Gordon
Female PsychologistArmchair Psychology - Edgecliff NSW
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