P062 INITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH 24-HOURS AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING IN KEFFI NASARAWA STATE

Abstract

Objective: In the last 30 years or so, the techniques for measuring blood pressure to ascertain wether an individual bas hypertension or not have undergone substantial change. The traditional method of taking blood pressure in the clinic is very useful especially on the population basis but provides poor estimate of risk in an individual subject. Ambulatory blood pressure measurement has been developed to estimate the true blood pressure of an individual over prolonged periods. There is paucity of report on the experience with this technology in Nigeria. We are therefore reporting on our initial experience with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at cardiac unit of the department of medicine, of the federal medical center keffi. Methods: All the procedures where carried out with Schiller BR - 102 Plus ambulatory pressure monitors and analysis done with Schiller SDS- 200 Computer system. Results: We report different forms of abnormalities: poor blood pressure control, non- keeping patterns, White cost effects, normal blood pressure patterns, blood pressure patterns in autonomic dysfunction etc. Conclusion: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a useful tool in blood pressure management especially in specialized units.