What it means
Measured in 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 . For adults, a systolic pressure below 120 is normal, 120 to 129 is elevated, and 130 or higher 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 . The bottom number, the diastolic pressure, is the pressure while the heart rests between beats.
For the nurse
Check the blood pressure before giving drugs that lower it, and hold the dose and report when the reading is below the limit in the order.
At a glance
| Spanish | presión sistólica |
|---|
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.
blood pressure
The force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, written as systolic over diastolic in mm Hg.
hypotension
Blood pressure lower than normal, generally below 90/60 mm Hg in an adult.