A common sight, a typical constellation: Well-kept apartment, elderly lady alone. On the table: An electronic blood pressure meter, a few boxes with blood pressure medicine and a meticulously-managed blood pressure protocol, closely written in the last hours.
The older woman is troubled, excited. Flushed face, rapid breathing, nervous walking around. The reason: Your blood pressure is out of control. Alarmingly high values it has measured in the last hours and written. And with each measurement, the values were increased. As nifedipine neither helped nor nitro spray.
Whether the meter is broken, perhaps? No, the doctor quite similarly high values measured with the old Riva-Rocci blood pressure measurement.
The meter is not broken. But it contributes to this "high blood pressure spiral" essential to: Any high measurement value increases the anxiety of the patient. Any increase in the patient's anxiety increases blood pressure. And over again. The doctor prescribed
a blood pressure medicines and prohibits the blood pressure measurement, at least for the next few hours. It calms and entdramatisiert. Clear instructions, clear and calm instruction times and transport pass leave some. And behold: it works.
Conclusion: Not all patients have these modern, precise, simple and inexpensive measuring devices at home really useful.
(see also "If you do not take a temperature you can not find a fever")
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