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- Page navigation anchor for RE: InfographicRE: Infographic
I appreciated this article and its accompanying infographic as we are asking many more patients to self-monitor their blood pressure at home with the increase in virtual and telephone visits recently due to the COVID19 pandemic. For many presentations or chronic disease management scenarios, the blood pressure reading may be the only physical examination required, necessitating an in-person visit when a home blood pressure monitor could avoid this. As a Family Physician, I wanted to share the infographic with my patients but I needed to so with a disclaimer.
Your infographic directs patients to contact their primary care physician 'as soon as possible' for a blood pressure reading greater than or equal to 135/85. This sets up an unrealistic expectation that a physician should see this patient as soon as possible which is neither necessary nor practical and may create unnecessary anxiety for patients. Primary care offices deal with numerous calls daily and have to triage concerns that every patient thinks need to be seen as soon as possible. A blood pressure of 138/87 can certainly wait until a scheduled visit or be booked in a week or two.
This language in the infographic will mean that some physicians will not share the otherwise valuable information in the infographic with their patients. Stating a higher number which would be more alarming or that would prompt a change in therapy or other intervention, or leaving a blank line for the phys...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.References
- Ivona Mostarac, Jim Thomas, Clare Atzema. Monitoring blood pressure at home: guidance for Canadian patients. CMAJ 2021;193:E1045-E1045.
- Page navigation anchor for RE: Home BPMRE: Home BPM
My experience is that most patients are over treated because their blood pressure is artificially elevated when taken by a health care provider and they do not take it properly at home.
Ideally I would suggest patients take their home readings every minute until the readings are recording similar numbers. Most patients will find the first few reading higher than the subsequent readings . What should be recorded is the reading that is repetitive .
So take 1 reading every 5 minutes . Doing this twice weekly I feel allows for better decision making.
Competing Interests: None declared.References
- Ivona Mostarac, Jim Thomas, Clare Atzema. Monitoring blood pressure at home: guidance for Canadian patients. CMAJ 2021;193:E1045-E1045.