Blood Pressure and Heart rate

Nursing Students General Students

Published

I was in clinical the other day on PCU (which is the progressive care unit), it is basically a cardiac floor. My instructor asked me why you measure heart rate and blood pressure together. I said they are directly related because the force your heart has to pump is dependent upon the pressure it arteries that your heart has to pump against. She said that isn't right and I needed to look it up. I have been researching all weekend and can't find anything. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

What semester are you in? This is taught pretty early in my program, but maybe it is different for yours. You medical surgical book will have this answer for. Go to the cardiac section and it will be there. It should be a rather easy answer to find. Start with definitions of contractility, preload, and afterload and go from there

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

What would high pressure and fast pulse tell you about a person's condition, and what might it tell you if the patient had LOW blood pressure and fast pulse?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Management.

You only really described the inotropic properties of the heart, not chronotropic. I can see why she said you were wrong. If she had asked why someone's BP is high or low, your answer would be correct.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Semester one, I looked in my med surg book and it didn't say anything about why you measure together.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Typically that's related to shock caused by a hemorrhage.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment