[Effect of anatomical and physiological factors on the indirect blood pressure measurement: identification of nurses' knowledge]. / Influência de fatores anátomo-fisiológicos na medida indireta da pressão arterial: identificação do conhecimento dos enfermeiros.

The study was developed by clinical nurses specialized in cardiology and had the purpose to characterize the knowledge about the conceptual aspects and the anatomical and physiological factors that interfere in the marks of blood pressure.

The influence of nursing diagnosis on information processing by undergraduate students.

PURPOSE: To examine the influence of a nursing diagnosis course on the information processing by undergraduate students. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study conducted with two groups (experimental, n = 15; control, n = 22) of undergraduate nursing students, subjecting only one to a nursing diagnosis course. The students' ability to identify, cluster, and name clusters of relevant data were compared between and within groups. FINDINGS: After the course, the experimental group performed better than the control group in the three activities studied. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the nursing diagnosis content in teaching favors clinical reasoning to determine the patient's nursing care.

[Instrumentation for blood pressure measurements: historical aspects, concepts and sources of error]. / Instrumentação na medida da pressão arterial: aspectos históricos, conceituais e fontes de erro.

According to the International Council of Nurses the measurement of blood pressure is the procedure most performed by nurses in all the world. The aim of this study is to analyse the polemical aspects of instruments used in blood pressure measurement. Considering the analyses of the literature and the American Heart Association Recommendations, the main source of errors when measuring blood pressure are discussed.

[Blood pressure measurement in pregnancy]. / Medida da pressão arterial em gestante.

This study deals with the review of the literature regarding the indirect blood pressure measurement in normal pregnant women. It shows the changes that happened with the blood pressure due to pregnancy. Polemical aspects in the procedure of blood pressure measurement are discussed; for example, which one of the Korotkoff phases (4 or 5) that better represent the diastolic blood pressure and the use of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in pregnancy. The recommendations from different societies are emphasized (American Heart Association, British Hypertension Society, Australasian Society, National High Blood Pressure Education Program and World Health Organization).

[The indirect measurement of arterial pressure as a function of cuff width in patients in the immediate preoperative phase, the phase of entry into the operating room and in the postanesthesia phase]. / Medida indireta da pressão arterial em função da largura do manguito, em pacientes nas fases préoperatória imediata, recepção no centro cirúrgico e pós anestésica.

The goal of this study was to compare blood pressure measures using two sizes of cuffs: one standard width (12 cm) and other with correct width that is 0.38 of arm circumference as recommended by American Heart Association. The comparisons were done among surgical patients in mediate perioperative phase, reception area of operation room and postoperative phase during the staying of the patient in the recovery room. The results demonstrated that the arterial blood pressure was hypoestimated by the use of the standard width cuff, reaching values up 30 mmHg in the systolic arterial pressure and 30 mmHg in the diastolic ones.

[Reflections on the nurse's responsibility in administering drugs]. / Reflexões sobre a responsabilidade do enfermeiro na administração de medicamentos.

This paper is intended to stress the nurse's responsibility in therapeutic drugs administration, mainly as related to her (or his) Knowledge of the pharmacological principles involved in drugs prescriptions. The Nursing Process regarding drug and client/patient assessment is herein presented as well as some example of nursing diagnosis. Planning and evaluation of nursing actions are also discussed and other issues are stressed that require a high degree of reasoning and research in the field.

[The nursing diagnosis of patients hospitalized for chronic Chagas cardiopathy]. / Diagnósticos de enfermagem de pacientes internados por cardiopatia chagásica crônica.

The undertaking of an interview and physical examination in 30 inpatients with chronic Chagas cardiopathy, taking into account the health functional patterns approach, led us to data for establishing the nursing diagnosis of these patients.

[An experimental study of the tissue reactions in rats induced by different concentrations of benzathine penicillin G]. / Estudo experimental das reações teciduais em ratos, provocadas por differentes concentrações de penicilina G. benzatina.

The search of scientific answers to problems due to procedures involving professional actions is a permanent challenge to the nurses committed with the improving of nursing care. In face of the intensive muscle soreness provoked by penicillin G benzatin shots, an experimental evaluation of this procedure was carried out in order to observe the influences of concentration and volumes used. This evaluation could give some insights to improve the nursing care, particularly those linked to the manipulation of the penicillin injection. The study was performed in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, in 27 Male Wistar rats. After the injection of the drug or saline solution in the right and left limb, respectively, the animals were sacrificed and the muscles in which the solution were injected were histologically examined. The use of penicillin provoked intensive inflammatory reaction, the peak intensity being attained after 48 hours. A remaining effect lasted about thirty days. The inflammatory reaction was similar for the three concentrations of penicillin. Nevertheless, the present research does not bring data that should modify the current injection procedures.

Is early diagnosis of hypertension a function of cuff width?

This study followed blood pressure in 11 subjects 5 years after slight or established hypertension had been revealed using a cuff of the correct width (appropriate to arm circumference); at that time, the use of a standard-width cuff (12 cm) had shown a blood pressure within the normal range. For the present study, blood pressure was determined indirectly under very strict conditions so that a faithful comparison between the readings with both cuffs could be achieved. An important underestimate of blood pressure was detected in thin arms when the standard width cuff was used. The present measurements showed a consistent increase in blood pressure with standard-width cuff readings, confirming the hypertension that had been identified using the correct cuff width 5 years previously. These results support our previous hypothesis that early diagnosis of hypertension can be masked by the standard-width cuff, particularly in lean persons.

[The indirect measurement of arterial pressure: a review]. / Medida indireta da pressão arterial: revisão.

This study deals with the indirect arterial blood pressure measurement, particularly the American Heart Association recommendations for sphygmomanometry References are made regarding the ratio arm circumference/cuff width and the errors caused by inadequate cuff size. Several variables involved in the procedure of arterial blood pressure measurement are discussed.

Pulse pressure as a function of cuff width.

Pulse pressure was investigated by indirect sphygmomanometry using two different cuff widths, standard (12 cm) versus correct (20% wider than arm diameter). Following the American Heart Association's recommendation for arterial pressure measurements, 7 cuffs of various widths (8 to 14 cm) were used as correct cuffs on 900 subjects; in only 50 was the standard cuff appropriate. Pulse pressure as a function of cuff width was significantly lower (P less than 0.001) with the standard cuff on subjects with diastolic pressure less than 90 mmHg (36.4 +/- 0.3 mmHg vs 41.8 +/- 0.3 mmHg) and above 90 mmHg (39.6 +/- 1.2 mmHg vs 43.8 +/- 1.3 mmHg). Mean systolic and diastolic arterial pressures were underestimated by 12.7 mmHg and 7.7 mmHg, respectively. These results suggest that cuff width influences data obtained by indirect sphygmomanometry, producing over- or underestimates when the ratio of arm circumference to cuff width differs from 0.38.