Abstract 14511: How Effective is Blood Pressure Reduction Techniques in Lowering High Blood Pressure Readings in Worksite Health Fair Screenings

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 134; no. Suppl_1 Suppl 1; p. A14511
• Main Authors: Das, Sankalp, Rouseff, Maribeth, Guzman, Henry E, Weatherly, April S, Costume, Alena C, Gilliam, Cynthia, Lehn, Virginia, Sherriff, Shoshana, Tran, Thinh H, Pino, Amett, Betancourt, Brian, Leigh, Erin, Jou, Francisco, Saborio, Georgelena, Saavedra, Ivan, Cleary, Jim, McCauley, Lynn, Desimone, Mary, Romney, Matthew, Castro, Natalie D, Ochoa, Terry C, Katz, Timothy, Keys, Towanda, Nasir, Khurram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: by the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association, Inc 11.11.2016
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539

IntroductionStandard protocol for measuring blood pressure in adults is to have them sit and relax for 5-10 minutes before taking their blood pressure. However, when doing screenings at a workplace, time is limited which can lead to an inaccurate blood pressure reading.ObjectiveThe primary objective of this abstract is to evaluate the effectiveness of blood pressure reduction techniques in those that initially scored a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher conducted with an automatic blood pressure machine.MethodsIf the participants’ blood pressure measures 140/90 mm Hg or higher, they are sent to a nurse to have a manual blood pressure taken. Before the nurse takes the participants blood pressure, they conduct blood pressure reduction exercises to help calm the participant. These exercises include deep breathing, visualization, and/or distraction. On average, the nurse spends 6 to 8 minutes with each participant.ResultsBlood pressure data was collected from 1,132 participants who had an initial blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher from an automatic machine and was sent to do a manual blood pressure. The average SBP from the automatic machine was 148.46 mm Hg, while the average DBP reading was 88.58 mm Hg. The average manual SBP reading was 136.26 mm Hg, while the average manual DBP was 83.82 mm Hg. The average change in the SBP was 12.2 mm Hg and the average change in DBP was 4.76 mm Hg. Out of 1,132 participants 830 (73%) participant’s blood pressure was below 140/90 mmHg.ConclusionWhen doing screenings at a workplace, false diagnosis of hypertension can be made if a blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher is recorded without giving the participant time to relax. Base on the data collected, conducting manual blood pressure reduction exercises with a nurse, significantly lowers SBP and DBP readings in the participants who completed the screening. Implementation of these techniques can help reduce the risk of inaccurate high blood pressure readings, enhances performance and reduces loss to the organization resulting from illness and other health issues cause by stress and hypertension.