Minimum BP for antihypertensives?

suzanne4, RN · Aug 21, 2005

Is the drug being administered strictly as an anti-hypertensive? Then a systolic BP of 90 is way too low, are you sure that you do not mean diastolic?

But also be aware that there are certain cardiac drugs that must be given with a BP that low, the heart requires it for after-load and not the BP. Many drugs have multiple actions.....do not hold a drug unless there are already specific parameters written, without first consulting the physician that wrote the order. You could actually be doing more harm to your patient without realizing it.

fla orange · Aug 21, 2005

In my opinion the mimimum for BP med to be admis is SBP >110. Less than 110, I'm getting a order to hold from the doctor and parameters.

stn2003, RN · Aug 21, 2005

Oftentimes the doc will give parameters for when to hold a bp med (such as: hold for bp

suzanne4, RN · Aug 21, 2005

Simple example to what I had said above. Lopressor is used for after-load, by stopping it suddenly you can cause a rebound effect in the patient that is not pretty. One of its side effects is to decrease blood pressure, but it is not usually ordered for this reason. Even though the name could make you think so. You will see physicians that want it given even with a pressure in the 80s. As also stated, do not hold the medicine indefinitely without speaking with the physician..................in other words, if it is ordered as a 0900 dose, do not wait until 1400 to contact the physician.

JentheRN05, RN · Aug 21, 2005

In my opinion the mimimum for BP med to be admis is SBP >110. Less than 110, I'm getting a order to hold from the doctor and parameters.

I agree with this as well as hold parameters. Look in meds for call parameters first, then if there isn't any, then decide if it appears to low. I'd be concerned about

jerryh55 · Aug 22, 2005

Since I am still a nursing student, I can only go by personal experiences. During our second semester, I was taking care of a young man who had come into the ER in the middle of a seizure and was admited. He was on Dilantin for hios seizures but also on an antihypertensive. One side effect of Dilantin is that it can lower BP. The first set of vitals I took on him was BP of 97/62. I checked his chart and there was nothing there as to any sort of hold due to low BP. I quized the RN and suggested we hold it and check. Relunctantly they agreed after I whined enough. They called the doc and he went YIKES. He forgot to put the hold paramters in. He added the hold order at

Have Fun And Be Safe

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Aug 22, 2005

In my opinion the mimimum for BP med to be admis is SBP >110. Less than 110, I'm getting a order to hold from the doctor and parameters.

We usually start wondering when the SBP is