Arterial blood pressure
Normal values
Factors affecting
How to measure
Regulation
The arterial Blood Pressure
It is the lateral force exerted by the moving column of blood on the lateral wall of arteries
Systolic blood pressure
-This is the maximum pressure created inside the arteries during ventricular systole due to rapid ejection of blood into the aorta.
-It normally ranges between 90 and 140 mmHg at rest.
Diastolic blood pressure
It is the minimum pressure which remains inside the arteries at the end of ventricular diastole.
Diastolic blood pressure is normally between 60 and 90 mmHg at rest.
Pulse pressure
It is the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures which equals about 40 mmHg.
The mean systemic ABP
This is the average pressure in the systemic arteries throughout the cardiac cycle.
It is calculated as:
Mean arterial blood pressure = diastolic pressure + 1/3 pulse pressure
Importance of ABP
1- It maintains sufficient pressure to keep the blood flowing.
2- It provides enough hydrostatic pressure inside the capillaries essential for the formation of interstitial fluid, urine, …. etc
Physiological Variations in ABP
1-Age
2-Sex
3-Race
4-Body built
5-Meals
6-Gravity
7-Emotions
8-Sleep
9-Exercise
10-Respiration
Measurement of ABP
-Direct measurement by cannulation of a large artery.
-Indirect measurement by Sphygmomanometer:
A-The palpation method
B-The auscultatory method
Factors that determine and maintain the ABP
1- The cardiac output
C O P = S V X H R
-Changes in the stroke volume with the HR constant affect the systolic more than the diastolic pressure.
-Changes in the HR with constant SV affect the diastolic more than the systolic blood pressure
2-The peripheral resistance
Factors that determine the PR:
PR = VL/r4
A-The diameters of arterioles (r)
B-Viscosity of blood (V)
C-Length of the blood vessels (L)
Regulation of diameter of arterioles
-The arterioles represent the main peripheral