Validity of auscultatory and Penaz blood pressure measurements during profound heat stress alone and with an orthostatic challenge

Matthew S. Ganio, R. Matthew Brothers, Rebekah A I Lucas, Jeffrey L. Hastings, Craig G. Crandall

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite frequent reporting of blood pressure (BP) during profound passive heat stress, both with and without a hypotensive challenge, the method by which BP is measured often varies between laboratories. It is unknown whether auscultatory and finger BP measures accurately reflect intra-arterial BP during dynamic changes in cardiac output and peripheral resistance associated with the aforementioned conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that auscultatory BP measured at the brachial artery, and finger BP measured by the Penaz method, are valid measures of intra-arterial BP during a passive heat stress and a heat-stressed orthostatic challenge, via lower body negative pressure (LBNP). Absolute (specific aim 1) and the change in (specific aim 2) systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean BPs (MBP) were compared at normothermia, after a core temperature increase of 1.47 0.09°C, and during subsequent LBNP. Heat stress did not change auscultatory SBP (6 ± 11 mmHg; P = 0.16), but Penaz SBP (-22 ± 16 mmHg; P < 0.001) and intra-arterial SBP (-11 ± 13 mmHg P = 0.017) decreased. In contrast, DBP and MBP did not differ between methods throughout heat stress. Compared with BP before LBNP, the magnitude of the reduction in BP with all three methods was similar throughout LBNP (P > 0.05). In conclusion, auscultatory SBP and Penaz SBP failed to track the decrease in intra-arterial SBP that occurred during the profound heat stress, while decreases in arterial BP during an orthostatic challenge are comparable between methodologies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)R1510-R1516
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
Volume301
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2011

Keywords

  • Arterial blood pressure
  • Lower body negative pressure
  • Passive heat stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Physiology (medical)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Validity of auscultatory and Penaz blood pressure measurements during profound heat stress alone and with an orthostatic challenge'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this