Do both systolic and diastolic need to be high for a patient to be hypertensive?

[linda2097]

Patients A and B are both male adults.

Patient A has 141/91 blood pressure.

Patient B has 120/91 blood pressure.

Are both patients hypertensive? Or just patient A?

[KLKRN, RN]

Go look up hypertension.

[Becca608]

Not to mention pulse pressure, preload and afterload. I'd also throw in pulsus paradoxus to be on the safe side.

[EmmaG, RN]

Not to mention pulse pressure, preload and afterload. I'd also throw in pulsus paradoxus to be on the safe side.

And don't forget your map

[Woodenpug, BSN]

Is hypertension a nursing diagnosis?

[KLKRN, RN]

Alteration in xxxxxx is the nursing diagnosis, I believe. HTN would be a medical dx if I'm not mistaken.

I always have my map handy, too.

Oh, that MAP! :)

[Woodenpug, BSN]

I guess a straight answer would be that I'm more concerned about patient b. (narrow pulse pressure.) I'd like more of a history than gender and a one time b/p. But, in nursing, we need more to make a diagnosis. I'm pretty sure the same is true in medicine.

[Becca608]

And don't forget your map

I ALWAYS forget my MAP! Maybe that's why I seem lost all the time:lol2:

[Becca608]

I guess a straight answer would be that I'm more concerned about patient b. (narrow pulse pressure.) I'd like more of a history than gender and a one time b/p. But, in nursing, we need more to make a diagnosis. I'm pretty sure the same is true in medicine.

I would consider altered tissue perfusion based on my abcs.

[Woodenpug, BSN]

I would consider altered tissue perfusion based on my abcs.

this is kinda fun. I would consider altered energy fields based on my desire to find a patient fitting the diagnosis.

[seanpdent, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

Patients A and B are both male adults.

Patient A has 141/91 blood pressure.

Patient B has 120/91 blood pressure.

Are both patients hypertensive? Or just patient A?

Well the original post is simply a question of is systolic BP the defining factor of hypertension.

Have a gander at this : http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml;jsessionid=DK01I0TWT1OFKCQFCXQCDSQ?identifier=3011728

In general the SBP is mostly the defining factor, but a DBP over 90 also qualifies at a 'pre-hypertensive' state.

Irregardless... I always concern myself with a high DBP due to a hight number tells me the patient's heart isn't getting much rest during diastole.

Best of luck

[RNperdiem, RN]

I would recheck the second BP myself as a first step.