Blood pressure...which arm???

[Stephanie]

I was wondering if any of you could answer or comment on this.
I've always asked to have my blood pressure checked on my non-OBPI arm, but mostly because it was easier to hold that arm out for the cuff, etc. My left arm has the OBPI, and this is the arm you are SUPPOSED to have your pressure checked in to get a correct reading, or so I think (?)

I've recently bought a home blood pressure checker, and when I try it on the OBPI wrist it is lower.
So my question is, is the blood pressure reading on the right arm correct or is there no way I'll ever
have the right numbers?

Doctors always fumble with this answer and I think it's because they don't know enough about BPI's!!
(especially general practicioners who take blood pressure!)

Any imput appreciated,
Thanks,
Stephanie

[m&mmom]

From what I understand the blood pressure should be taken in the non bpi arm.

The circulation in the bpi arm isn't as good.

Cindy

[keshias]

What do u do when both arms aare damaged? Mine was last month and still are badly...

[francine]

in the awareness section on line (get to it from the homepage here)...there is a card called the Emergency Card. It's facts that docs and EMT's should know when treating someone with a bpi.

no blood pressure taken with bpi arm

no needles, IV, etc. in bpi arm

there is decreased circulation, more at risk for infection and the bp will be much different in the affected arm.

there's a lot of stuff in the awareness section - hope both of you get to check it out...

-francine

[erica]

Hi Stephanie!
When I was in the hospital they ran IV's in my good arm. As a result they had to take the blood pressure on my injured side. It got the same reading as if it were my non injured arm. I know ,because I asked them one day to test both arm(after IV was gone). As well as I had this one person come to take my blood. I told him I did not want it done on my injured arm(when I had the IV). Well he would not take no for an answer and took my blood in my injured arm anyways. He only got half the blood.
oh and to the person with both injured arms, they can take blood pressure on the leg.
Just my bit of info.
Erica;o)

[phaliscak]

If both your arms are injured you can take your blood pressure just above your ankle. They do that all the time in the hospital when Michael is asleep and the readings are fine. Other than that Michael gets his reading on his non BPI arm.

Patty

[Kathleen]

Hi Stephanie

I was always told - no needles and no bp on the right side.

I was told that my right arm was not mapped the same as it should have been had I not been injured at birth.

Therefore my veins are smaller - circulation is poor - ( our cold arms!) and the vein may be injured and not able to supply the blood necessary to support the muscles... made sense to me so I NEVER HAD BLOOD PRESSURE OR BLOOD TEST ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

I just assumed that all doctors knew that until I grew up and changed doctors! Since that time I find myself constantly reminding them - No needles etc...

When I was in for surgery I had my arm TAGGED - they had a red band on my right arm so that when I was out no one would use that arm for tests...

my BP is different on the right side then on the left.

Kath

[Stephanie]

I understand that you shouldn't take blood pressure readings from a BPI arm, so this is my next question.

Since an accurate blood pressure reading is supposed to be from your left arm because it's closest to your heart, and I have the OBPI in my left arm, is the reading from my RIGHT arm accurate? Can I ever have the right numbers?

This is important to me right now because they want to change my medicatation and not only that, but I'm getting normal readings at home (white coat syndrome?)

Thanks,
-Stephanie

[CW1992]

Hi Stephanie,
Have you tried taking your husband and sons BPs on both of their arms and see what sort of difference there is in the readings in their arms? I thought that might help you to see for yourself if there really is that much - if any - difference between taking a reading in your left or right arm. If they do show a difference in their arm readings maybe you can estimate what yours would be.
Hope this made since!
Christy

[Kathleen]

I have a machine that goes on your index finger to measure my Blood Pressure.

I checked it against the doctors reading the last time I was there and it was the same as hers...

I was not aware that you needed to take blood pressure on the left side... so I just called my daughter she is a Cardiac Nurse... She said she was never taught to take blood pressure... but often they check and compare both arms...

I have always had to correct doctors and nurses when they take my right arm... I would assume that the left arm in your case would be lower because of poor circulation.


Kath