What it means
One of the vital signsVY-tul SYNZThe basic body measurements: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, often with oxygen saturation and pain.Full entry . It has two numbers: the systolic pressure, when the heart squeezes, and the diastolic pressure, when the heart relaxes between beats, written like 118/76 mm HgMIL-ih-mee-terz uv MER-kyuh-reeMillimeters of mercury: the unit used to measure blood pressure and the pressure of gases in the blood.Full entry . A normal adult blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. Pressure that stays high is hypertensionhy-per-TEN-shunBlood pressure that stays higher than normal, at or above 130/80 mm Hg by current US guidelines.hyper- above, more than normaltension pressureFull entry ; pressure that is too low is hypotensionhy-poh-TEN-shunBlood pressure lower than normal, generally below 90/60 mm Hg in an adult.hypo- belowtension pressureFull entry .
For the nurse
Use a cuff that fits: too small reads falsely high, too large falsely low. Have the client sit with feet flat and the arm supported at heart level, and do not take it on an arm with an IV, a dialysis access or on the side of a mastectomy. Check it lying, sitting and standing when a client is dizzy on standing.
In a chart
"BP 92/58, down from 124/80 at the start of the shift; provider notified."
At a glance
| Normal range | Below 120/80 mm Hg (adult) |
|---|---|
| Abbreviations | BP; SBP (systolic blood pressure); DBP (diastolic blood pressure); MAP (mean arterial pressure) |
| Spanish | presión arterial, tensión arterial |
| Also written | BP, blood-pressure, blood pressures |
Related terms
hypertension
Blood pressure that stays higher than normal, at or above 130/80 mm Hg by current US guidelines.
mm Hg
Millimeters of mercury: the unit used to measure blood pressure and the pressure of gases in the blood.
heart rate
How many times the heart beats per minute.
hypotension
Blood pressure lower than normal, generally below 90/60 mm Hg in an adult.
vital signs
The basic body measurements: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, often with oxygen saturation and pain.