Optimizing Pediatric Blood Pressure Readings: The Role of Timing and Medical Personnel Presence: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61186/Keywords:
Hypertension, Child, Blood pressure, White coat hypertensionAbstract
Introduction. Hypertension is a major global health concern, playing a significant role in the development of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable conditions. Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is a key to its diagnosis. While guidelines recommend three BP readings with 1–2-minute intervals for adults, there is no clear consensus for children. Additionally, various factors, such as the presence of medical personnel, could impact BP readings. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of measurement timing and the presence of medical personnel on pediatric blood pressure readings.
Methods. In this analytical cross-sectional study, 50 children aged 5-13 years were enrolled. Blood pressure was measured using an automatic device with appropriately sized cuffs. BP was recorded at five intervals: baseline, 30, 60, 90, and 120 seconds. Measurements were taken both in the presence of medical personnel (attended) and without their presence (unattended). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA with IBM SPSS version 21.
Results. A significant decrease in systolic BP (SBP) was observed over time (P = .000), with the initial SBP of 105.29 mmHg declining to 98.33 mmHg at 120 seconds. However, there were no significant changes in diastolic BP (DBP) or pulse pressure (PP) (P = .400 and P = .502, respectively). When comparing attended versus unattended measurements, both SBP and DBP were significantly higher whenmedical personnel were present (P = .009 for SBP, P = .010 for DBP). Conclusions. The findings suggest that shorter intervals, such as 30 seconds, may be adequate for reliable BP measurement in children. However, the presence of medical personnel increases BP readings, likely due to anxiety. These results highlight the need to reduce stress during pediatric BP assessments to ensure accurate hypertension diagnosis and management.
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