Classification Scheme Updated for Ambulatory BP in Children

TUESDAY, May 31, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is recommended for pediatric patients, and a classification scheme for interpretation of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has been developed, according to a scientific statement published online May 23 in Hypertension.

Joseph T. Flynn, M.D., from the Seattle Children’s Hospital, and colleagues present a review of the new evidence and an updated classification scheme for the interpretation of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children and adolescents.

The authors note that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can mitigate elevated blood pressure associated with measurement anxiety and can assess circadian blood pressure patterns. Ambulatory blood pressure is different from resting clinic blood pressure, therefore necessitating specific normative data. Performance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is indicated to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension based on clinic blood pressure measurements. In addition, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring should be used to optimize drug therapy, including confirming blood pressure control. An ambulatory blood pressure device suitable for use in children should be used. Furthermore, a standard approach should be used in application of the device and interpretation of data in pediatric patients.

“Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is clearly an important technique that adds precision to the evaluation and management of the young patient with elevated BP,” the authors write. “It is hoped that this scientific statement will assist pediatric practitioners in applying these techniques in their own clinic populations.”

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