When doctors don't agree with your findings

Published May 1, 2014

350 Posts

I have a 9 year old that I did a yearly screening on. Her SBP was 126 according the sub who was helping me (sub is a retired school nurse from this district). I measured her BP two more times (2 weeks apart each time) and her SBP was 124 and then 126 again. I used both a child's cuff and an adult cuff each time. I took her BP after she sat for at least 5 minutes with me. I sent a referral home. Mom was great- she took her daughter to the doctor. The doctor wrote a note on the referral and said the students SBP was 112 which was normal for age. Based on this students height, it is still NOT normal (according to this, it's still pre-hypertensive). It's 90th percentile based on height. Mom even told me that the doctor told her it was fine.

Do you just blow these things off? I did my job. I can't make a doctor do/acknowledge anything. Of course there is always the possibility that I don't know the whole story.... but for a doctor to simply write the BP is normal seems odd to me. This student is moving up to the next school in the district so I'll definitely let the next nurse know.