Optimizing Pediatric Blood Pressure Readings: The Role of Timing and Medical Personnel Presence: A cross-sectional study.

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.