Is it customary where you work to recheck BPs manually?

[klone]

If you take a BP on a patient and it's out of normal range (either abnormally high or low, but usually high) on the machine, is it customary to recheck it manually? What if the high pressures are driving treatment and medication decisions?

I'm trying to figure out what the practice is elsewhere.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

In our facility we only have manual BP's. However if I'm working in my per diem job and get an abnormal BP from the patients baseline I'll recheck with a manual cuff, simply due to the fact that machines somethings dont read right

[rN4healn]

Work in an ambulatory cardiac clinic. All BPs are manual. Cuff size, placement and resting for 5-10 minutes are key to accuracy. Hypotensive, a-fibbers, extreme hypertensive, thigh cuff size on arms would concern me for accuracy if we had automated cuffs. I would enjoy comparing the readings of our clinical staff with automated cuffs. But realize we do it all day long and are a little unusual in our desire for accuracy since this is our speciality. When one person can't get a reading (usually thigh size cuff on arm), it is interesting to see everyone step up to the challenge to try and help.

We have crazy strong forearms, btw. We joke about. I don't think our way is perfect.

I wonder how the nursing student would take a breast CA survivor's BP if both arms were unusable due to lymph node involvement.

[klone, MSN, RN]

The "ERR" of the machines is a good theme for a homework.

- Pulsresult vs. Parkinson vs. sclerosis

- Velcro: How old is too old

- Hygiene vs. warranty: How exakt are the produktinformations

Once again: Um....huh?

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

When I get an abnormal reading I will asses and ask questions. I will wait between 15-30 minutes and recheck. If it is better, than that is good, if not, time do call the doctor or at least monitor according to protocols of facility. I will also check previous readings and see if they have a history of a spike or a drop. WhenI call a doctor, I will give them both readings.

[countrynurse09, LPN]

I never trust the machines if it doesn't come out right. They are to sensitive to movement, ambient noise, etc. (at least the cheaper ones). I always double check manually if I'm in question.

[Happy.Nurselet, LPN]

I am a new grad but our clinical guideline was if it is out of range unexpectedly, recheck it with another dynamap or a manual of it's available. I have found multiple times that odd bps (something like 169/44 in a walkie talkie saying he feels good today) were proven to be a machine issue after I rechecked with another machine (150/90, normal for his baseline) and then replicated the issue on another pt (like 130/30 on another walkie talkie, the good machine gave me 120/70).

[Julius Seizure]

I never trust the machines if it doesn't come out right. They are to sensitive to movement, ambient noise, etc. (at least the cheaper ones). I always double check manually if I'm in question.

My skills at checking manual BPs are sensitive to ambient noise as well

[maporcrn1]

Never rely on one reading. Take it again, on the same machine, while telling the patient to keep the arm still. I look at the patient and get several readings before I call the MD. Good luck finding the "one" sphygmomanometer. Plus or minus 20% of the prerecorded systolic pressure can be considered WNL for that patient, unless specified by the MD.

[knurse10]

People with afib will can have odd readings, both high and low, that require a manual for accuracy.