24 Hour Ambulatory BP Monitoring

• No fasting requirement.
• Patient must take a bath or shower before coming to the appointment as he/she will not be able to do so while wearing the device.
• Wearing a thin shirt under the cuff is recommended to prevent problems caused by long-time wear of the cuff (sweat, itching, soreness, etc.)

WHILE WEARING THE DEVICE

• Before the machine is about to take a reading, sit down, if possible keep the cuff at the same level as the heart; keep the arm steady and do not talk or cross legs during the recording.
• Avoid blocking the air flow in the tube of the cuff and twisting the tube. Avoid excess movement and bending or folding of the arm during blood pressure measurements. They should hold their arm loose, slightly away from their chest.
• Use the buttons, if necessary.
• Press the start button to initiate extra blood pressure measurement.
• Press the medication button to mark events, i.e. taking medication etc.
• Press the day/night button to mark the time rising from and going to bed.
• Should the blood pressure measurements cause blood shots, torpidity or pain in the hand, the cuff should be removed from the arm immediately and disconnected from the recorder. Such occurrence should be reported to the physician latest after the monitoring session.
• Don’t remove the recorder even at night. By loosening the straps, patients can avoid problems when turning in their sleep. The recorder does not disturb most patients at night.
• Should the batteries run down during a monitoring session, they can simply be replaced. Monitoring will continue and data will not be lost.
• Keep a diary to track down activities or events including the name and dosage of the medication taken, and symptoms, observations, or complaints (e.g. pain, dizziness, etc.) experienced during the monitoring period.
• Because the test is being carried out to find out the normal daily blood pressure is, it is important to carry on with patient's normal routine and do all the things he/she would normally do. However, it is not recommended to drive or go to gym for work out. A gentle or brisk walking is fine. Swimming and having a bath or shower are also not allowed.
• Never measure anybody else’s blood pressure with the recorder during an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring session.

AFTER THE MONITORING PERIOD

• Return to the clinic to submit the Patient Diary and so the technician can remove the ambulatory BP monitor device.