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?

[Becca608]

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

We could diagnose Noncompliance based on the inability to find a diagnosis. But of course NANDA would not approve:rolleyes:

[KLKRN, RN]

I think altered tissue perfusion works.

Dang it! I cleaned out my office and can't find my MAP!

[Suninmyheart]

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

I appreciate attention to this question. I too am wanting to understand applications of blood pressures more in my practice. I couldn't find much in my textbooks or online. I know about MAP and ICP and CPP. Not much on pulse pressure and what it means clinically. Duh, you would think something so simple would be addressed more in my textbooks.

To the person who originally asked this question - WELCOME to allnurses!

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

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

How about a case of Spontaneous Human Combustion?

Jay Alfred proposed that spontaneous human combustion is caused by electrical discharges, similar to lightning discharges, within the body. The article states, "A bolt of lightning is an electrical discharge within this system.