Blood Pressure - Heart Function Test Procedure for Electronic Measuring Device - Lab Report Example

Introduction to Blood Pressure (BP) (Heart Function Test) Blood pressure (BP) is exerted on walls of blood vessels by blood which is circulating in the body. The blood pressure shows a variation from a maximum (systolic) to minimum (diastolic). The BP will decrease when the blood move through the arteries away from the heart with the highest drop in blood pressure being realized in small arteries and arterioles. Other factors that affect the blood pressure as blood circulates are gravity, valves in veins and pumping as a result of contraction of skeletal muscles. When there is no any further specification the blood pressure will normally be referring to systemic arterial pressure which is measured at the upper arm. The measurement is made inside of an elbow at the brachial artery. The brachial artery is the major blood vessel in the upper arm that transports blood away from the heart. Measurement of BP is usually a simple exercise that is quick and the process is painless. When measuring BP a blood pressure machine or sphygmomanometer can be utilized. The BP is usually measured as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure with mmHg (height of mercury column in mm) being the units. For example, the doctor or nurse might say "130 over 80" as a blood pressure reading. This is written as 130/80. The use of electronic blood pressure measuring devices is on the rise replacing the mercury filled devices due to the hazardous nature of mercury. These devices are believed to be accurate enough in application of routine clinical use are also affordable. Most of the error generated by human beings are eliminated with use of this devices. Aim of experiment The aim of this experiment was to use electronic BP meter in measuring BP; to make a graph of BP measurements for males and females and perform analysis of data and make a comparison of graphs for males and females. Procedure for Electronic measuring device When taking the blood pressure reading one was to relax and seat comfortably with the arm being well supported. The cuff that inflates was wrapped around a partner’s upper right or left arm then the O/I button was pressed so as to turn the unit on. The cuff started inflating automatically with an increase in pressure and tightening being felt on the upper arm. The measure started with deflating after a few seconds and as the cuff deflated the heart beat symbol flashed at every heartbeat. There was complete cuff deflation on completion of measurement and the values of systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and pulse were shown on the machine. After 2-3 minutes the measurements were repeated 2 more times with the mean value being recorded. Results The highest pulse recorded in male was 106 while the lowest value was 37 being represented by 2 participants. One female participant recorded the highest value of 106 and 3 female participant recorded the lowest value of 47. The mean pulse value in males was 55.76 and 44.29 in females as can be seen in figure 1. In figure 2 the distribution of the pulse values about the mean line for male and female is illustrated. The highest arterial pressure recorded in male was 114 while one participant had the lowest value of 78. One female participant recorded the highest value of 117.67 and the lowest value for female participant 80.33. The mean arterial value in males was 97.04 and 92.10 in females as can be seen in figure 3. In figure 4 the distribution of the mean arterial pressure about the mean line for male and female is illustrated. Discussion From the results it can be seen that there was a variation in the mean arterial pressure values for men and women with higher values being registered in men. One of the reason for higher pressures being recorded in men is due to the fact that the heart in male need to use high forces to pump blood to circulate the blood than in females. (Bachmann, 1987) This is due to the fact that generally men have higher body sizes than there female counter parts. Generally the males are much taller than female in any general population. The difference in mean arterial pressures for male and females can also be attributed of difference in hormones. Androgens like testosterone affect the blood pressure levels even though there is yet to be a clear mechanisms which affect gender differences in blood pressure. Studies have shown that as boys and girls increase in age there will be increase in systolic pressure with a higher increase in pressure of the male at the age of 13 to 15 and even more higher difference at the age of 16 to 18 Calhoun D.(1998). This is a clear indication that the higher MAP in males can be attributed increasing levels of andirons. There is also a possibility that the presence of some hormones exclusives in females plays some role of protection of the females from developing higher blood pressures. The facts that there is an increase in the blood pressure in females at the onset of menopause is also a clear indication of this. At this stage in women some female hormones are not being produced (Luoto, 2000). From the results it could also be observed that there was a variation in values of pulse and MAP within the same gender. This difference could be a result of the health status of the individuals. People who are overweight or obese are likely to have registered the higher values. The other cause of variation in the values among the participants of the same sex can be attributed to consumption of alcohol which increases blood pressure. There is a likelihood that males are affected more by this factor than men as men will tend to consume more alcohol than there female counterparts. Smoking also causes increase in blood pressure and this could also be the cause of the variations among individual values with men likely to be affecting most as they may be prone to the smoking habit more than females (Burl, 1995) . Awareness also plays a role in the blood pressure levels. Women are usually more aware of there health risks as they visit health facilities more than their male counterparts. Due to this the females are likely to have lower values as they strive to maintain the healthy pressure levels. Sodium intake is likely to cause increased blood pressures and thus bring about variability in MAP values. References Staessen J. et al (1990) Reference values for ambulatory blood pressure: a meta-analysis. J Hypertens. Burl V.L, et al (1995) Prevalence of hypertension in the US adult population: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Bachmann H. et al (1987) Blood pressure in children and adolescents aged 4 to 18: correlation of blood pressure values with age, sex, body height, body weight, and skinfold thickness. Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde. Calhoun D.(1998). The sexual dimorphism of high blood pressure. Cardiol Rev. Luoto R,(2000) Blood pressure and menopause transition: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study Read More