Feeling lightheaded or dizzy? Have you been newly diagnosed with hypertension and taking medications for it? Retake your blood pressure! Better yet, have a professional nurse take it with a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer, note your blood pressure. A normal blood pressure should read 120/80. A blood pressure that reads higher than that for a depicted period may lead your physician to diagnose you with an ICD-10 (I10) billing code of HYPERTENSION. My concern is a two-fold question; did the person taking the blood pressure use an automatic machine and did he/she use proper technique? It is not a mystery or unknown that some technicians will perform their jobs better than others. This concerns me.

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Technique is used when taking a blood pressure. The apparatus used is paramount. The reason I say this is because the automatic machines will give you a false reading versus a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer. With a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer, the technician can auscultate or hear the first 'thump' which is the systolic number where the vessel is beginning to open and pressure against the vessel walls are measured when the heart beats. The last 'thump' is the diagnostic number; the vessel is open and blood pressure is determined here while the heart rests between beats. This renders a reading of systolic over diastolic. This reading can determine a person's blood pressure. A diagnosis of hypertension or hypo tension or normal will be more accurate when heard through a stethoscope. I believe this method is more dependable and should be used to diagnostically rather than using an automatic machine.

Automatic blood pressure machines: Automatic machines can be reliable if the baseline (by using a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer) of an individual's pressure has already been determined; otherwise, there is ambiguity in the reading. Automatic machines offer a 'quick, fast, and in a hurry' reading which can be correct but more often incorrect. Some automatic machines may render more accurate readings than others; most will not even read the same on the same person using the same arm at the same time. I haven't studied the machines, but I've fallen victim to an automatic machine used in my doctor's office. To sum up the use of automatic blood pressure machines... the readings can be false and should never be used for diagnosis, especially those used on the wrist.

Oh, I know someone is saying, "well the machines are used in the hospital all the time, so they have to be somewhat reliable". Right! The machines used in hospitals and other acute care facilities are not the same caliber of machines used in doctors' offices and clinics. Listen, I'm not saying not to trust the machines; I'm saying educate yourself about your own blood pressure and how it was measured in all capacities.

Technique: Healthcare professional's technique should be noted and reprimanded rather it be an automatic machine or the conventional way. For instance, blood pressures should never be taken with bulky sleeves due to clothing. The cuff should start snug and not tight nor loose. The rubber air tubing should be placed at the antecubital space and not in the back or elsewhere. By way of the auscultation, the bell of the stethoscope should be placed right under the air tube as well. For auscultation accuracy while using a stethoscope, the area should be quiet.