Blood pressure measurements in hospital.

Blood pressure on admission to hospital is a "stressed blood pressure" that will tend to exaggerate the prevalence of hypertension. Twelve per cent of patients admitted to Auckland Hospital did not have their blood pressure recorded. The number of blood pressure recordings was excessive in many untreated hypertensive patients admitted to Auckland Hospital. The physician tends to examine patients with high blood pressure in a predictable manner without regard to the severity of pressure recorded. The diagnosis of hypertension or kidney disease was recorded in the medical case summaries sent to the general practitioners in only 11% of patients whose admission blood pressure was raised. The blood pressure of many hypertensive patients was not communicated to the general practitioner; this information was given in 60% of treated and 39% of untreated hypertensive patients.