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Increased Blood Pressure in the Emergency Department: Pain, Anxiety, or Undiagnosed Hypertension AHRQ Annual Meeting 2008. Paula Tanabe, PhD, MPH, RN Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine and the Institute for Healthcare Studies.
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Increased Blood Pressure in the Emergency Department: Pain, Anxiety, or Undiagnosed HypertensionAHRQ Annual Meeting 2008 Paula Tanabe, PhD, MPH, RN Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine and the Institute for Healthcare Studies
Acknowledgements Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, RO3 -HSO15619-01
Background • Approximately 29% of adults in the US have HTN • 33.5% of these adults are undiagnosed1,2 • HTN leads to cardiac disease, strokes and renal failure3,4 • Adults from low socioeconomic backgrounds and African Americans have a higher morbidity and mortality5,6 • 2003 JNC 7 guidelines re-defined hypertension as 2 or more SBP >140 mm Hg or DBP > 90 mm Hg • Guidelines advocate improvement in recognition and treatment of HTN7
Emergency Department Opportunity • Many patients use the ED as their primary health care provider • Other patients with physicians do not routinely visit their physician • 2006 American College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Policy recommends: “If BP measurements are persistently elevated with a SBP >140 mm Hg or DBP > 90 mm Hg, the patient should be referred for follow-up of possible HTN and BP management”8 • ACEP policy acknowledges the meaning of elevated ED blood pressures is unclear and often these elevated BPs are attributed to pain or anxiety; data is needed
Study Aims • Determine proportion of patients with no history of HTN and two ED blood pressure readings >140/90 who have sustained blood pressure elevations measured at home after ED discharge • Describe characteristics associated with sustained BP increase • Examine the relationship between pain and anxiety and the change in BP after ED discharge
MethodsDesign, Setting • Prospective cohort of ED patients • Large urban, academic medical center with an EM residency program
Sample Inclusion Criteria • Initial ED SBP >140 or DBP >90 mm Hg • No history of HTN • Repeat ED SBP >140 or DBP >90 mm Hg
Exclusion Criteria • Non-English speaking • Admitted to the hospital • Unable to operate home BP monitor • Pregnant • Medical or psychiatric instability • Inadequate contact information • Discharged with anti-HTN prescription
Study Protocol • RAs enrolled subjects Mon.-Thurs. 9A-9P, Fri. and Sat 9A-5P • Brief patient interview • Instructed subjects on use of home BP monitor • Home BP monitor: UA 787EJ Home BP monitor (British Hypertension Society approved) – Monitor stored up to 30 readings • Patients were asked to record home BP twice daily for 1 week
Methods of Return • Triage desk • Post office, postage paid envelope • Dominick’s pharmacy
Study Variables • Sustained blood pressure elevation • Highest and lowest SBP and DBP deleted • Mean monitor SBP and DBP calculated • Classified as sustained elevation if SBP >140 or DBP >90 mm Hg
Pain and Anxiety • ED Pain score (0-10 verbal descriptor scale) • ED Anxiety score • Spielberger State Anxiety Scale • Scoring patient report: 20-80, low to high anxiety
Analysis • Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test (categorical variables), t test (continuous variables) • Standard logistic regression • Pearson correlation coefficients to determine the correlations between the • Change from ED to home SBP and DBP with the ED mean pain score and anxiety score • If elevated ED BP is due to pain or anxiety, we anticipated a negative correlation
Results • 189 subjects enrolled • 171 (90%) returned monitor • 156/171 (91%) had adequate BP data • Mean (SD) age = 47 (13) • 50% Female • 35% Black, 60% White, 7 (n) Hispanic
Results • 54% had sustained HTN • 40% prehypertension • 6% patients had a “normal” JNC7 BP
Prevalence of Home Sustained HTN Based on ED Blood Pressures
Patient Characteristics Associated with Elevated Home Blood Pressure
Relationship between self-reported anxiety and pain and the difference between patients’ home and ED systolic blood pressure (SBP)
Limitations • Single site • English-speaking only patients • Most patients had insurance • Home vs. office BP measurements • We believe our study under-estimates the findings based on these limitations
Conclusions • A high proportion of ED patients with elevated BPs were found to have sustained BP elevation at home • ED patients with 2 or more blood pressures >140/90 should not be assumed to be anxious or in pain and are at risk for undiagnosed HTN
Conclusions • The ED is an important setting for identifying patients with undetected HTN • Mechanisms to standardize and automate BP re-assessment orders and prompt discharge instructions are needed • Future research is needed to determine referral mechanisms and brief interventions to motivate patients to follow-up
Acknowledgments, Study Team • Stephen D. Persell, MD, MPH2 • James G. Adams, MD1 • Jennifer McCormick, BS1 • Zoran Martinovich, PhD3 • David W. Baker, MD, MPH2 • Lori McGee, Steve Gorman and Alexis Bergan-Guzman for their assistance with patient enrollment • Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine • 1Emergency Medicine, 2General Internal Medicine, 3Psychiatry
References 1. Lewington S, Clarke R, Qizilbash N, et al. Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: a meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet. Dec 14 2002;360(9349):1903-1913. 2. Chobabanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, et al. Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure: The JNC 7 Report. JAMA. 2003;289:2560-2571. 3. Almgren T, Persson B, Wilhelmsen L, et al. Stroke and coronary heart disease in treated hypertension -- a prospective cohort study over three decades. J Intern Med. Jun 2005;257(6):496-502. 4. Hsia J, Margolis KL, Eaton CB, et al. Prehypertension and cardiovascular disease risk in the Women's Health Initiative. Circulation. Feb 20 2007;115(7):855-860. 5. Mensah GA, Mokdad AH, Ford ES, et al. State of disparities in cardiovascular health in the United States. Circulation. Mar 15 2005;111(10):1233-1241. 6. Dennison CR, Post WS, Kim MT, et al. Underserved urban african american men: hypertension trial outcomes and mortality during 5 years. Am J Hypertens. Feb 2007;20(2):164-171. 7. Chobabanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, et al. Seventh report of the joint national committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. Hypertension. 2003;42:1206-1252. 8. Decker WW, Godwin SA, Hess EP, et al. Clinical policy: critical issues in the evaluation and management of adult patients with asymptomatic hypertension in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2006;47:237-249.