Blood Pressure

Pressure in arteries exerted by the left ventricle when it undergoes systole (contraction) and the pressure remaining in the arteries when the ventricle is in diastole (relaxation) Taken in the left brachial artery

Systolic Pressure First sound – corresponds to systolic blood pressure. The force when blood is pushing against the arterial walls Normal – age

Diastolic Last sound – when the sound becomes faint Measure the force of blood remaining in the arteries during ventricular relaxation Normal – Normal Blood Pressure – 120 / 80

Pulse Alternate expansion and elastic recoil of an artery with each contraction of the left ventricle. Radial artery – wrist Carotid artery – next to voice box Popliteal artery – behind knee Dorsalis pedis artery – above the instep of foot

Pulse Average Pulse – beats/min at rest Tachycardia – rapid heart/pulse over 100/min Bradicardia – slow heart/pulse under 60/min

Factors that determine blood Pressure Stroke Volume Output– the amount of blood pumped out per beat Average – 70 ml per beat As SVO goes up, blood pressure goes up As SVO goes down, blood pressure goes down

Elasticity Constricted arteries – (narrow) blood pressure goes up Dialated arteries – (wide) blood pressure goes down

Things that make BP go up Constricted Arteries Quick, small heart beats Blood transfusions Areteriosclerosis

Things that cause BP to go down Blood loss Slow, strong heart beats Large, dialated arteries Kidney loss of fluids