Blood pressure alerts

Monitoring a patient's or a resident's blood pressure is more than just taking the blood pressure recording the result and giving a pill. A facility should have parameters for when a resident's blood pressure reaches a specific parameter and the physician should be notified, including when a standard fax is adequate or when a phone call should be made to alert the doctor.

A person's blood pressure must be evaluated along with any other symptoms that are exhibited. A blood pressure of 77/36 is of grave concern because it the individual's vital organs such as kidneys, brain and lungs may not be getting adequate oxygen. If the resident is responding appropriately, the blood pressure should immediately be rechecked to determine if it is an accurate reading or if it is operator error or mechanical malfunction. If it is indeed an accurate result, the resident maybe exhibiting other symptoms such as non-responsiveness, confusion, dizziness, inability to speak. Medical intervention is necessary, the sooner the better. The resident needs to be evaluated/assessed.

Like wise if the blood pressure is high, the blood pressure needs to be evaluated. If the resident is responding appropriately, the blood pressure should immediately be rechecked to determine if it is an accurate reading. If is is indeed an accurate result, the resident maybe exhibiting other symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, inability to raise both arms, smile or other symptoms of stroke. The resident should immediately be transported to the hospital and the physician notified.

It is more helpful if the resident's physician determines the parameters for which he wishes to be notified.