How high is a blood pressure (tycally) when it causes someone to have a stroke?

[Orange Tree]

....or is there a typical? I hear people worry about SPBs in the 180's......others say 200 is "not that high".

[Orange Tree]

tycally is supposed to be typically

[Asystole RN]

When it happens you will know it.

I don't think there is a "typical" range more a ... higher the pressure the higher the risk.

I may be able to handle 220/130 for many hours, you may only be able to handle it for a few minutes.

[brownbook]

You can't just pick one number and make a nursing plan or medical intervention, you have to look at the whole patient, their history, age, illness, etc. No one should have a constant systolic blood pressure above 130. Occasional high systolic numbers should be related to what is going on with the patient. Were they exercising or under a lot of emotional stress, etc., but even taking that into consideration it should be checked out if it happens frequently. If the patient is elderly (whatever that age is, the older I get the higher that number gets), in a nursing home, maybe have had high blood pressure for years, their doctor is aware, maybe as much is being done as can reasonably be done and no intervention is needed?

[Orange Tree]

Thank you, both :)

[d'cm]

Highly doubt there is a "typical' but it's an interesting question. The American Heart Association collects this data on just about every CVA in the country, so I sent them an email with this question. I will post if/when I get a reply.

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I will be interested in seeing what they say. The hospital where I work is a Stroke Center. Our training really doesn't focus on BP,.unless it is after the fact and is a hemorrhagic stroke (less common) and then we need to keep the pressure down after the stroke. HTN is of course a risk factor for CVA,.years of HTN weaken the vessels and add to plaque build up,.but an episode of extreme HTN in an otherwise healthy person does not cause a stroke. So I guess the answer to your question is that there is no magic number,.it depends on what else is going on with your pt.

[shockable_rhythm]

....or is there a typical? I hear people worry about SPBs in the 180's......others say 200 is "not that high".

Those systolic numbers are both pretty high! A stroke isn't the only thing you have to worry about with chronic high BP- renal failure is another issue. Also, the amount of time someone has uncontrolled HTN is another factor in the equation.